Riggins man believed drowned after his car plunges into the Salmon River

RIGGINS, Idaho – A Riggins man is presumed drowned in the Salmon River, but Idaho County Sheriff Doug Giddings said the river is too treacherous right now for divers to search for a body.

Derek L. Olson was reported to have driven into the river at milepost 192.4 on U.S. Highway 95 early Monday morning. According to the sheriff’s office, witnesses said they heard tires squeal and saw taillights go into the river at 12:05 a.m.

“We know where he is – in the river,” Giddings said Tuesday. “That river is running like you can’t believe. You can’t touch the river.”

Olson’s car, a brown 2010 Hyundai, was carried by the current about half a mile downstream from the crash site and lodged against a rock, Giddings said. Loggers brought some heavy equipment down to the river and were able to reach out to where the car was, turn it right side up and drag it onto the bank.

Olson’s body was not inside, the sheriff said.

“We’re not diving. We can’t dive,” because of the swift water, he said. “What we have is a whole lot of friends and relatives and (rafters); they’re all out there looking until dark, checking eddies – everything. We’ve done everything that we can do to try and find him. … But the water is so swift we just have no idea. We’re unable to get in the water but it wouldn’t do any good to get in the water.”