The body of missing fisherman Mark McCoy, a Stanley native and former bassist for country band Micky and the Motorcars, was found near the mouth of the Yankee Fork River at noon on Wednesday.
According to Custer County officials, McCoy, 30, had been reported missing at 10 p.m. Saturday night after a fishing accident near Mormon Bend Campground north of Stanley.
Crews from Custer County Search and Rescue, Bonneville County Search and Rescue, Blaine County Search and Rescue and Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Dogs joined volunteers to search the Salmon River from Casino Creek to Slate Creek near Clayton for days—with no results.
The search was called off Tuesday at 8 p.m., but McCoy's body was discovered Wednesday at the Sunbeam Dam near the mouth of the Yankee Fork River. A news release from the Custer County Sheriff's Office states that McCoy's body traveled 6.5 miles down the Salmon River before his clothing caught on some willows.
The body has since been turned over to a funeral home.
Lt. Bryan Carpita of the Blaine County Sheriff's Office and Blaine County Search and Rescue said four local volunteers joined the effort but ended their assistance Wednesday. According to Carpita, the amount of time that crews will search for a missing person depends on a myriad of factors.
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"A lot of it depends on the environment," he said. "What the weather is, what the person's physical condition was. There's not a set time. It depends on the whole circumstance."
The Custer County Sheriff's Office reported Monday that McCoy and Stanley native Steve Herrett had gone out on a night fishing trip when the raft they were fishing from caught a snag.
The men were forced to enter the water, and while Herrett made it to shore, McCoy could not be found. Neither man was wearing a life jacket, said Custer County Sheriff's Deputy Mike Talbot on Tuesday.
Carpita said the high water of the Salmon River made it difficult for searchers to access snags and holes where McCoy could have been caught.
The news release stated that the river was flowing above 6 mph and had risen nearly 2 feet during the course of the search.
Mickey and the Motorcars, of which McCoy was a former member, has canceled its weekend concerts—including one in Ketchum on Saturday.
Katherine Wutz: kwutz@mtexpress.com
Celebration of Life
A Celebration of Life for Mark McCoy will be held Saturday, April 28, at 4 p.m. at the Stanley Community Building in Stanley, with a potluck dinner to follow.
