A man who fell into the frigid Snake River when his canoe tipped in April was found Monday, about three weeks later, according to the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.

The Ada County Coroner’s Office identified the man as Douglas Wick, 31, of Boise. His body was found near the Walters Ferry boat landing and Idaho 45 near Nampa on Monday morning — about 8.5 miles downriver from where the canoe tipped.

Wick and a 31-year-old woman who has not been named were canoeing in the Snake River near the Swan Falls Dam in Melba on April 21. The couple was only 1.5 miles from Celebration Park when they hit water turbulence and the canoe tipped.

Sheriff’s deputies say the two had life jackets in their canoe but were not wearing them at the time. The woman was able to grab a life jacket to keep her afloat and swim to shore, according to the sheriff’s office. Witnesses said Wick held onto the canoe for awhile before attempting to swim to shore.

The woman was treated for hypothermia on scene by paramedics.

The water was 53 degree at the time Wick and the woman fell in and was dozens of feet deep, according to the sheriff’s office.

A group of Ada, Canyon, and Owhyee county sheriff’s deputies searched the area using sonar detection equipment in boats, while pilots of an air ambulance helicopter did an aerial search of the river and riverbanks. The search, which lasted for several days following his disappearance, was called off when there was no sign of Wick.

A person called Canyon County dispatch Monday morning to report a body in river past Celebration Park. Owyhee County Sheriff’s deputies recovered Wick’s body using a boat.

Wick was identified as a veterinarian for Intermountain Pet Hospital in Meridian, according to the business’ website.

“Dr. Wick truly embodied the values, spirit, and heart of Intermountain Pet Hospital and was a true champion for providing the best care possible to every pet he has ever seen here. He will be truly missed by everyone here,” the post on the website reads.

Two Nampa men who went fishing together Sunday and didn’t return home have been found safe, according to the Nampa Police Department.Wade Osterhout, 32, and Larry Brewer, 48, were reported missing Monday by their families during separate calls to polic…

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CALDWELL — Four of the 11 defendants named in an Adams County wildlife poaching conspiracy case have recently been found guilty or pleaded guilty to charges against them, according to a press release from the Idaho Fish and Game.

The investigation into the poaching case began in fall 2015 when Fish and Game officers discovered the remains of a bull elk killed before the legal hunting season opened in unit 22, west of McCall. By the time the investigation concluded, the releases states officers had discovered at least four more illegally-taken bull elk and at least one mule deer.

The release states two of the seven felony defendants have accepted misdemeanor plea agreements.

Those men are Roger Brutsman, 48, of Wilder and Adam Norris, 28, of Nampa.

Brutsman pleaded guilty to the unlawful taking of a 2×2 bull elk. Brutsman, who was sentenced in May, must pay $1,465 in fines and will be on probation for two years. Brutsman received a two-year hunting revocation, where he may not accompany others in hunting activities.

Norris pleaded guilty to the unlawful taking of a 4×4 bull elk. He was sentenced in July to 90 hours of community service and ordered to pay $1,445 in fines. In addition to a five-year hunting and trapping revocation, Norris will spend the next two years on probation and may not accompany others in hunting or trapping activities during his probation.

Another sentenced so far in the case is, Tyler Dutton, 23, of Caldwell. He was convicted by a jury in July and was sentenced Aug. 17. Misdemeanor charges against Dutton include hunting while revoked, closed season take of a big game animal, illegal possession of a big game animal, wasteful destruction of a big game animal, and using another person’s big game tag.

Dutton received more than $3,300 in fines and court costs and lost his hunting and fishing privileges for 10 years. The release states he also may not accompany others in hunting and fishing activities for the same period. Dutton will also serve 30 days in jail and has a probationary period of 10 years following that.

The release states Miranda Clausen, 25, of Caldwell, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor wasteful destruction of a big game animal and a misdemeanor of using another person’s big game tag. She was sentenced Sept. 7 to 20 hours of community service and ordered to pay $1,645 fine. Clausen lost her hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for six years, and will remain on probation for the next four years.

The release states that in August, five case defendants — Shannan Norris, 45; Casey Dutton, 23; Bob Norris, 69; Trey Painter, 23; and Chad Painter, 44, all of Caldwell — were arraigned on a total of 20 felony counts involving conspiracy to unlawfully possess big game animals. Each felony charge carries potential prison time of up to five years and fines up to $50,000. A lifetime hunting, fishing and trapping revocation may also be included in felony sentencing at the judge’s discretion.

BOISE — Forest Service officials have closed the Bull Trout Campground and surrounding recreation areas, including Bull Trout Lake in the Boise National Forest because of bear activity.

Bears have been seen in the area over the past couple of weeks, officials said in a press release. Bears can smell food from far away, and will likely return to the area where they find food. When bears associate food with humans, it often results in a dangerous situation for humans and animals.

Visitors to the Boise National Forest are asked to be extra vigilant this summer when storing and throwing away food and toiletry products to avoid attracting bears.

RIGGINS — Idaho County deputies now believe John “Randy” French and his vehicle went into the Salmon River.

A resident reported to the Idaho County Sheriff’s Office that he found the license plate to French’s vehicle and evidence that the vehicle had gone into the Salmon River near milepost 201.5 on U.S. Highway 95, according to a press release from the sheriff’s office.

Idaho County deputies confirmed the information and believe French and his vehicle are beneath the water near that location.

Water conditions are preventing an attempt to recover the victim and his vehicle. The news release said the dive team estimates it will be about 30 days before the water conditions are safe enough for divers to enter the water to locate the vehicle.

French’s family has been notified.

On Monday, a medical item belonging to French was found and reported to the Idaho County Sheriff’s Office. Family confirmed it was French’s. 

French left on a fishing trip to Riggins on June 29. He was expected to return July 1 but never did. 

PARMA — Authorities in Canyon County recovered the body of a Nampa man who drowned in the Snake River near Parma.

According to the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, the body of James L. Clure, 42, was found at about 5:45 Tuesday evening.

Clure fell out of his boat on the Snake River Sunday. His body was found more than a mile downstream from the boat launch at Martin’s Landing west of Parma.

Clure is the second person to drown in Canyon County this year. A 28-year-old Caldwell man drowned in Lake Lowell in May.

Want to see Shoshone Falls in all its splendor and glory?

You still have a chance to.

The Twin Falls Times News reported that snow and rain fall mixed with warmer temperatures has made it so more water needs to be released from the Snake River’s storage system.

Brian Stevens, a hydrologist with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Upper Snake field office in Heyburn, said the bureau will run 15,000 cubic feet per second through the Mid-Snake region and over Shoshone Falls for up to two weeks, depending on irrigation demand and temperatures.

Currently the river flow is only at 5,000 cfs according to Twin Falls Times News. Once the water rises to 15,000 cfs, it is sure to be as much of a spectacle as earlier this year.

MARSING — The Owyhee Sheriff’s Office has identified a Caldwell-area man as the hiker who fell and died while in Jump Creek Falls Saturday.

The hiker was 20-year-old Coit Edwin Herrick II.

Herrick fell more than 70 feet off a cliff while hiking in Jump Creek Falls, according to the sheriff’s office. He was transported to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center with severe head trauma.

Herrick died at the hospital, according to the Ada County Coroner’s Office.

The investigation is ongoing, chief deputy Lynn Bowman said Monday. Herrick’s death is believed to be an accident.

Bowman said for safety reasons, the hiking area has seasonal hours of 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. beginning April 1 through Oct. 2. Until March 31 winter hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. are in effect.

Herrick was hiking within those hours.

Jump Creek is a popular Bureau of Land Management recreation area southwest of Marsing.