89-year-old Idaho woman dies after falling into Snake River

CHEYENNE (WNE) — An elderly woman died Wednesday after being swept into the Snake River.

That’s according to Star Valley Search and Rescue and the Star Valley Independent. The Lincoln County rescue outfit responded Wednesday evening, while the Independent reported the victim’s name and age. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Coroner’s Office did not return requests for comment before press time.

Joyce Balls, an 89-year-old woman from Rigby, Idaho, tripped Wednesday at the Big Kahuna lookout and fell into the Snake while on a picnic with her family, according to first responders and the Independent.

“This was truly a tragic accident,” Star Valley Search and Rescue wrote on Facebook, adding that it is also a reminder of “just how unforgiving the river can be.”

The rescue team’s drone operator found Balls’ body downriver.

The incident marks the second time in less than a week that an elderly person has died in a Lincoln County waterway. On June 12, Star Valley Search and Rescue located the body of Ned Eddins in Swift Creek. Eddins, of Afton, was 93 and last seen June 7. He was reported missing June 10.

This story was published on June 20, 2025.