A Whitefish man was rescued on Thursday afternoon after his vehicle ended up in the Lochsa River in Idaho.
A social media post states Idaho County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of a vehicle in the river about 68 miles upriver from Kooskia on U.S. Highway 12 at approximately 1:45 p.m.
Emergency crews arrived to find that 91-year-old Clifford Parver of Whitefish was stuck in his vehicle about 50 feet from the bank.
Several people who had been passing by stopped to help before emergency crews arrived, including U.S. Forest Service firefighter JT Sohr. Sohr had recently finished swift water rescuing training.
He used his personal rafting equipment to help Parver out of the vehicle with the post noting that during the process, Sohr lost about $250.00 worth of equipment down the river.
“It’s moments like these that remind us that we live in a wonderful area full of kind and courageous people who are willing to help their fellow man. We are truly thankful for the help of JT, Keegan, and all others,” the post concludes.
