Louisiana man missing after being swept into Idaho river while tubing

A search is underway for a 21-year-old Louisiana man who got swept into an Idaho river while tubing over the weekend, officials say.

Everette Jackson fell from a raft into the Payette River and disappeared into the fast-moving water on Saturday at around 8 p.m., according to the Gem County Sheriff’s Office.

Jackson played on the Louisiana State University Eunice basketball team for the 2020-2021 school year as a freshman and was a student at the school for the Spring 2022 semester.

"We are devastated upon hearing the news about Everette," LSU Eunice Chancellor Dr. Nancee Sorenson said in a statement Tuesday to NBC News. "Our thoughts are with his family, friends and teammates during this difficult time. We pray he is able to be located and be brought home safely."

Gem County is located about 40 miles northwest of Boise, Idaho.

Jackson’s girlfriend told NBC affiliate WDSU of New Orleans that they were together tubing when he lost control and got swept away in the river.

Gem County Sheriff Donnie Wunder told NBC News that Jackson was tubing with a group 5 friends when the incident unfolded.

He said the group was from out of town and didn’t know how dangerous the water could be, and is warning the public against water activities in the high waters.

“The Payette River is currently flowing at a rate that presents a danger to anyone not using a motorized craft,” the sheriff’s office said in a release.

Wunder said Tuesday's search includes a couple of river boats and a helicopter, but so far "we haven't seen anything."

“The water is extremely difficult right now," he said. "I’ve communicated with the family and everything that, because it’s so murky, you can’t see anything in the water, and it’s flowing so strong. We’re probably not going to locate him until the water drops significantly."

On Monday, the search included jet skis and boats in the river west of the Washington Bridge in Emmett and downstream towards Letha, the sheriff's office said.

Family members of Jackson, who is from Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, have flown to Idaho with hopes that he is found soon.

His sister, Megan Jackson, described him to WDSU as “fun, adventurous, he loves to play basketball, loved basketball."

"He loved his family. He was very family-oriented. He just gets along with everybody," she said.

Another sister, Nikki Lyons, told the station the journey to find him is "not easy."

"I never experienced anything like this here. All I want is my little brother and I’m going at any cost," she said. "I just ask that anybody send their prayers, send them our way."

CORRECTION (June 14, 2022, 6:40 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misspelled the first name of the missing man. He is Everette Jackson, not Everett.