Know the risks: Law Enforcement urges caution with bridge diving
Noah Farley
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — With summer in the air, many people are excited to get outside and have fun in the water. But area law enforcement is reminding people about the dangers and laws behind diving off bridges.
The warning comes after an 18-year-old man from Pocatello drowned after jumping into the Bear River from the Last Chance Flume north of Grace, on May 31, 2025.
In several eastern Idaho counties, for example, Bonneville County, the activity of bridge jumping is illegal. However, the laws surrounding bridge jumping differ from county to county, but all law enforcement agencies emphasize the importance of staying safe.
“The reason those (laws) are in place is because it’s just not always safe right there to do that,” Sgt. Bryan Lovell of the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office told Local News 8. “You don’t know what is down below, how deep that water really is. You don’t know what kind of outcroppings are sticking out.”
Meanwhile, it’s not necessarily illegal to jump off bridges into rivers in Fremont and Jefferson County; however, it is against the law to trespass on privately owned and closed-off bridges.
Local law enforcement officers tell us that water can be very unpredictable. The flows and currents of the rivers can change every year due to snow melt after winter, and the currents are much stronger under the water’s surface.
They say there might be hidden dangers, like sticks, garbage, or rocks, just below the surface you can’t see until you’ve already jumped.
Every police department we spoke with recommends people use life jackets and swim in areas designated for recreation.
“If you’re just planning for safety and, you know, thinking ahead and being real careful, then you’re probably going to have a good time and you won’t have to be rescued,” said Lovell.
Lovell says the main thing is to put your safety and the safety of others first.