Recently Caldwell Police, Canyon County Sheriff’s deputies, Caldwell Fire, and Canyon County paramedics responded to the report of a male clinging to a tree in the Boise River. Police say he had been holding on to the tree for 18 hours.

Caldwell officers were first to arrive Aug. 4 and located the man who appeared to be in extreme distress while holding himself on a downed tree in the river. The victim was on his back under a tree branch in the water.  Police say the man’s head continued to go under the water as he attempted to lift it back up saying he “could not hold on much longer.”

The Caldwell officers immediately attempted to rescue the man by balancing on a separate tree limb and providing a throw rope.  Additional officers arrived on scene and immediately removed their duty gear and entered the shoulder-deep high water to help rescue the man. 

Firefighters and paramedics arrived, attended to the man’s medical conditions, and helped get him off the bank of the river onto flat ground. 

Hours later, Caldwell officers stopped by the local hospital to check in on the victim, identified as, Josh Carter, of Caldwell.   It was later learned his core temperature upon arrival was 93 degrees, two degrees cooler than when hypothermia starts at 95 degrees. 

Carter wanted to thank the officer and as he hugged him, he said, “I never in my life thought I’d hug a cop.”