73-year-old survives five days in the wilderness after raft flips on the Salmon River

SALMON — Thomas Gray, 73, is fortunate to beryllium alive. He endured 5 days successful nan wilderness aft his raft fell isolated connected nan Salmon River.

According to a news merchandise from nan Custer County Sheriff’s Office, Gray took disconnected for a 3-day solo rafting extremity connected nan Middle Fork of nan Salmon River from nan Marsh Creek motorboat area connected May 17.

Unfortunately, a bid of log jams caused his raft to autumn apart, and Gray sustained a limb wounded aft a log deed him successful nan leg. According to Custer County Sheriff’s Marine Deputy John Haugh, Gray was forced to wholly disassemble his raft successful nan h2o and rebuild it connected nan shore.

Eventually, he decided to campy on nan slope of Marsh Creek that night. The pursuing morning, May 18, Gray traveled to Dagger Falls.

When he arrived, he decided to “run nan falls” aliases raft down Dagger Falls, arsenic he “did not want to hold gathering his woman astatine nan confluence (where nan 2 rivers meet) connected Sunday, May 19.”

Dagger Falls | Trails Off Road

While moving nan falls, Gray’s raft flipped, injuring his limb moreover more, and he was ejected astatine nan bottom. He past swam to statement arsenic his raft floated down nan stream without him.

Almost precisely 2 years prior, Gray’s brother, 63-year-old Robert Gray, was killed aft flipping a raft successful astir nan nonstop aforesaid spot, according to Haugh.

RELATED | Family of man who drowned successful Salmon River seeking public’s help

After realizing his raft was gone pinch each of his equipment, including his knife, Thomas Gray climbed up a upland and hiked toward nan Boundary Creek motorboat site.

Because of his limb injury, Gray stayed astatine nan motorboat tract erstwhile he arrived, uncovering shelter successful an outhouse for 2 nights. During nan day, he watched nan stream successful hopes personification would float by and connection him help.

RELATED | UPDATE: Missing boater recovered dormant successful Custer County; assemblage not yet recovered

Oddly, astatine nan aforesaid clip connected May 20, Custer County and Valley County had sent hunt and rescue crews down nan stream aft receiving a missing study for Gray, and a study of a “punctured cataraft being recovered connected nan Middle Fork of nan Salmon River.”

Haugh says crews must’ve unknowingly floated by Gray who was successful nan outhouse, pinch some parties missing each other.

After nan 2nd nighttime astatine nan outhouse, Gray decided to locomotion toward Fir Creek Pass. According to nan sheriff’s office, Gray remembers thing from that night.

On May 21, Gray stumbled upon a Bruce Meadows Snowmobile Club trailer. Inside nan trailer was a wood stove, but nary matches to ray it.

Unbeknownst to Gray, Sheriff Levi Maydole had activated nan Custer County Search and Rescue this aforesaid morning, but they were incapable to find Gray.

The Civil Air Patrol was besides activated to hunt nan stream from Boundary Creek to Indian Creek respective times but did not find Gray either.

Meanwhile, Gray woke up nan adjacent morning, May 22, and continued down Bear Valley Road. Three miles in, he became excessively exhausted to proceed and laid down successful nan snow.

The Sheriff’s Office estimates Gray had walked astir 23 miles by this point, drinking only creek h2o and eating snow.

“Tom was wholly exhausted, he decided this was it. He conscionable laid down successful nan snowfall and said a prayer,” says Haugh. “He was resigned that this was not going to extremity well.”

Shortly after, Steve and Annie Lentz, nan owners of Far and Away River Adventures, spotted Gray lying successful nan snowfall alongside nan road.

Gray heard nan sound of their car, which, luckily, was besides carrying respective first responders, who jumped retired to thief him.

“If they hadn’t travel along, he astir apt wouldn’t person lasted overmuch longer,” says Haugh. “He was successful beautiful bad style erstwhile they sewage him.”

They took Gray to nan Mountain Village restaurant, wherever he met pinch Custer County deputies. They gave him a thrust to nan Sheriff’s Office, wherever his woman was eagerly waiting to reunite.

Haugh says he is still “smiling receptor to ear” since uncovering Gray. Haugh was 1 of nan first responders who assisted successful searching for his brother’s assemblage successful 2022.

“Tom called maine and he called maine his “live-saver,” but I said no, I’m conscionable your Uber deputy,” says Haugh.

Haugh powerfully discourages rafters from going connected excursions alone, and to ever bring information supplies that tin extremity up redeeming your life.

“Never spell solo. that’s number one. Number two, you person to deterioration nan correct gear, he was wearing nan correct gear,” says Haugh. “You request to support your weapon connected your (lifejacket). Even if you’re walking successful a party, it’s a bully thought to transportation immoderate benignant of fire-starting device. Waterproof matches, a lighter, something. He went 4 days, incapable to make a fire. And put a candy barroom aliases thing successful your life jacket.”

Haugh besides highly recommends taking a instrumentality pinch you that tin scope first responders if necessary.

“The biggest takeaway is, return a outer communicator,” says Haugh. “If thing goes wrong, they’re waterproof, you conscionable get connected that and punch a connection into nan sheriff’s agency aliases nan wood work saying ‘I wrecked, I’m astatine Boundary Creek, I’m injured but I’m okay.’ It helps a lot.”