Body of Louisiana rafter, 21, recovered after weeklong search along the Payette River

After a week of searching, the Gem County Sheriff’s office reported that the body of Everette Jackson had been found on Sunday afternoon.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this very difficult time,” Gem County Sheriff Donnie Wunder said in a news release. “We are grateful to all of the emergency responders and volunteers who made this recovery possible.”

Jackson was a 21-year-old from Raceland, Louisiana, who went missing in the Payette River on June 11. A witness saw Jackson fall from his tube and go under the water near the Gem County Island Sports Complex in Emmett. He did not resurface, according to the witness.

Volunteers and rescue crews have spent the past eight days combing the area for Jackson. A volunteer found the body two miles downstream from where he disappeared.

A family member positively identified his body.

Jackson, a student athlete attending Louisiana State University Eunice, was visiting Idaho with his girlfriend at the time. Several members of Jackson’s family flew out from Louisiana last week to join in the search. They set up a GoFundMe to help with travel costs.

“Our family is traveling 21 hours away from our home to find Everette, and any help given will be greatly appreciated,” his sister Kenya Lyons wrote on the GoFundMe page. “From the bottom of our hearts, we thank each and every last one of you for the support. Please keep him and our family in your prayers.”

The Gem County Sheriff’s Office warned people of particularly dangerous conditions on the river and advised anyone floating to wear a life jacket.

“The Payette River is currently flowing at a rate that presents a danger to anyone not using a motorized craft,” the Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Monday news release. “Rapid flows, high-water levels, and frigid water temperatures currently present life-threatening conditions.”