By Nate Eaton, EastIdahoNews.com
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ISLAND PARK, Idaho (eastidahonews.com) — Stephen Marx and James Morey were no strangers to Henrys Lake.
Over the years, the two had spent countless days fishing its waters, often on the same boat Marx had owned and used for decades, according to his wife, Ynette Marx.
But their fishing trip on Nov. 1 ended in tragedy with Marx, 64, and Morey, 55, drowning in the lake they loved so much.
“When they found them, they were right by each other in the lake. Neither one of them would have let the other go without the other,” Ynette told EastIdahoNews.com through tears.
Investigators will likely never know what led to the two experienced fishermen going overboard. Another fisherman told officials he was the only person on the lake between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. that Saturday, so it’s presumed Marx and Morey fell in before that time.
The day started off normally, with Marx and Morey agreeing to meet up at Walmart and head up to the lake, according to Ynette. After a few hours, she realized she hadn’t received any photos of fish from her husband, which was unusual. He always sent her pictures of what he had caught.
“At 6:30 p.m., I hadn’t heard from him all day long, so I tried calling him and it went straight to voicemail,” Ynette explained. “I called James’ wife, and she hadn’t heard from her husband either. So we called the police and around 10 p.m., an officer called me and said, ‘Your husband’s truck is here with the trailer and no boat.’”
Fremont County Search and Rescue crews were called out, and Marx’s boat was found on the shore, with no footprints nearby.
Other agencies responded to help on Sunday with drones, four-wheelers, helicopters, search dogs and people on foot. By the end of the day, the men were still missing.
“I woke up at 4 o’clock in the morning on Monday and when I rolled over to hold him, I remembered he wasn’t there,” Ynette said. “That’s when I thought he was gone because I didn’t think he could survive two nights in the cold.”
Ynette went to Henrys Lake on Monday and waited for any developments in the search. She was told it could take days or weeks before her husband and Morey could be recovered. It was even possible that, given weather conditions, they might not be found until the spring.
But around 5:30 p.m., a side scan sonar from a rescue boat spotted an anomaly in the water and divers were sent in. Marx and Morey were found next to each other in about 13 feet of water. Ynette was on shore when her husband’s body was brought in.
“He looked just like he was asleep. He even had his sunglasses on. He looked cold and his arms were folded up against him,” Ynette said.
Marx and Morey met 30 years ago as new teachers in Klamath Falls, Oregon. In 2010, Morey moved his family to his wife’s hometown of Carey, according to his obituary, and the Marx family ended up in Idaho Falls for Stephen’s job at Bonneville Power Administration.
Ynette praised the work of all the searchers who helped find Marx and Morey. She asked to take a photo of them so she could always remember the people who found her husband and his friend.
“This truly was a joint effort. Even though the outcome was not what we had hoped for, we did get some closure on this and hopefully the families can rest at ease,” Fremont County Search and Rescue Commander Brett Mackert told EastIdahoNews.com.
Morey leaves behind a wife and three children. His funeral is scheduled for Monday at 1 p.m. in Carey and he will be buried in the Carey Cemetery.
“(James) loved the outdoors and spent much of his free time boating, hunting and fishing with friends and family. He enjoyed countless hours at the lakes, rivers and outdoors of Wyoming, Oregon and Idaho with friends and loved ones, building memories that will last forever. James took care of his family in every way, lived his life to the fullest, kept his faith, and died doing what he loved most,” according to Morey’s obituary.
Marx spent more than 20 years working with the Boy Scouts and young men groups from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He loved hiking, huckleberry picking, hunting and being outdoors. He leaves behind a wife and two sons.
“He was an ardent believer of that old saying ‘a bad day fishing (or hunting) was better than a great day at work.’ Always congenial and quick with a joke, Stephen made friends wherever he went,” Ynette said. “We are not OK, but we’re trying to be OK. He will be sorely missed.”
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