Boater Dies Of Hypothermia

An Idaho woman died of hypothermia in the arms of her husband after their boat capsized on Elk Lake in the Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County Undersheriff Keith Reeder said.

The victim was Virginia Marie Rucker, 56, of Idaho Falls.

She and her husband, Marvin, 58, were fishing in a rented boat last Friday afternoon but didn’t show up for a dinner appointment at 7 p.m.

Two friends found the couple alongside their overturned boat in the 45-degree water, said Reeder.

Marvin Rucker was hanging on to the boat with one arm, and the other was around his wife, who was not breathing, Reeder said.

The men pulled Virginia Rucker into their boat and attempted to resuscitate her, Reeder said. They could not get Marvin Rucker in the boat, so they towed him to shore.

Marvin Rucker was transported to Idaho Falls, where he is recovering from hypothermia, Reeder said.