On May 24, 1980, 38-year-old Larry Dean Hill was on a boating trip at the Palisades Reservoir in Bonneville County, Idaho, when the vessel capsized. The fourteen-foot aluminum boat was carrying a total of eight people, including Hill, his six-year-old son Rex Hill, his friend Laddie Schiess, and Schiess's ten-year-old daughter, Toni. The group was enjoying a day on the water when the weather took a turn for the worse, causing the boat to overturn in rough water approximately 100 yards from the shore, just south of Big Elk Creek. The water in the reservoir was a frigid 51 degrees and 120 feet deep at the time of the incident.
The sudden and tragic event prompted an immediate response. Four of the eight passengers were rescued from the cold water, but Larry Hill, his son Rex, Laddie Schiess, and his daughter Toni could not be located despite extensive search efforts. All four are presumed to have drowned in the accident. Larry Hill was last seen wearing hip waders. The devastating incident has left a lasting impact on the families and the community, with the four individuals being listed as missing persons for decades. The search for them and the hope for closure have spanned many years.
In September 2002, human remains were discovered near Palisades Reservoir, sparking a new wave of investigation into past drowning cases, including the 1980 boating accident. The remains, which consisted of a partial skull, tailbone, pelvic bone, and vertebrae, were determined to belong to a male between the ages of 25 and 45. For years, investigators explored the possibility that these remains could belong to one of the men from the 1980 incident. However, through advanced DNA testing in 2021, the remains were identified as belonging to a kayaker who had gone missing in a separate incident in 1995. The search for Larry Hill and the other victims of the 1980 tragedy continues, leaving their families with unanswered questions.
Last Seen: May 24, 1980
