On the afternoon of July 13, fisheries biologist Robert Hand was finishing up a work-related float trip on Idaho's remote Selway River when he happened upon a group of individuals yelling for help on the downstream river bank. The 22-year veteran of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) quickly learned that it was the family of a young boy who was struggling to stay afloat in the Selway's swift current, and he sprung into action to help save the boy before he could be carried off into a powerful set of rapids further downstream.
"[The] family was yelling for anyone who may have a rope," IDFG wrote in an August 5 press release highlighting Hand's recent rescue efforts. The biologist didn't have "enough [time] to get to a truck and grab a throw rope or flotation device," IDFG wrote in the release, "so he pivoted and ran downstream to catch up with the boy."
Hand saw no other option than to dive into the rushing current and swim out to the boy, who by then, IDFG said, was struggling to keep his head above water. Hande grabbed ahold of the exhausted boy and swam him safely back to the shore, staying with him on the river bank until the family arrived.
IDFG credited Hand's decades of experience on Idaho's treacherous rivers for his potentially life-saving action that day and pointed out that all department employees are required to undergo swift water training to help keep themselves and others safe. “We are thankful this boy was able to return safely to his family,” Fish and Game Director Jim Fredericks said. “We also thank Robert for his fast action and bravery in assessing a dangerous situation and rescuing the boy. This reflects highly on his dedication and professionalism, and we could not be prouder.”
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The Selway River is a large tributary of the Clearwater that runs for 100 miles through the Selway-Bitteroot Wilderness, the Bitterroot National Forest, and the Nez Perce National Forest in Idaho's northern panhandle. The river is renowned for its whitewater rafting and fly fishing. Drownings are not uncommon.
