Van rolls into river, trapping family of 6 as water rushes in, Idaho rescuers say

A family of six was trapped in their van after it rolled into a river, Idaho rescuers said.

The family, from Utah, was rescued from the Snake River after deputies got reports from the driver that he was trapped in the van with his wife and four kids while water was rushing in after it rolled into the river, according to a July 14 news release from the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office.

When rescuers arrived, they found the van stuck on the rocks in an upstream current and the family with their “heads above water,” deputies said.

The family had been camping in the area with friends before driving “too close to the road edge,” causing their tires to go off the embankment, officials said.

Rescuers used rope and dive equipment to get the family to the water’s edge where they were pulled up a 30-foot embankment with ropes, officials said.

The family was uninjured aside from exposure to cold water, officials said.

Bonneville County is about a 320-mile drive east from Boise.

This story was originally published July 15, 2025 at 1:25 PM with the headline "Van rolls into river, trapping family of 6 as water rushes in, Idaho rescuers say."