On May 24, 1980, a tragic boating accident on Palisades Reservoir in Bonneville County, Idaho, led to the disappearance of ten-year-old Toni Lynn Schiess, her father, and two family friends. The group was on a fishing trip in a fourteen-foot aluminum boat when unfavorable weather conditions caused the vessel to capsize approximately 100 yards from the shore, near the "Overlook at the Narrows" just south of Big Elk Creek.
The water at the time was a frigid 47 to 51 degrees Fahrenheit, and the boat was reportedly heavily laden with eight passengers, with only one life jacket among them.
The sudden capsizing of the boat threw all eight occupants into the dangerously cold water. While other boaters in the vicinity witnessed the accident and were able to rescue four of the individuals, Toni, her 38-year-old father Laddie Schiess, 38-year-old Larry Hill, and his six-year-old son Rex Hill, could not be reached and vanished into the reservoir. The water in that area of the reservoir was about 120 feet deep. Despite the immediate response from other boaters and subsequent extensive search efforts by authorities, the four individuals were never found and are presumed to have drowned in the unfortunate incident.
The four individuals who were rescued from the icy waters included one of Mr. Schiess's other children and another boy, who were pulled to safety by a Mr. Peter Bates and his son who were also on the trip. The boat itself was later accounted for. The case remains a painful memory for the families and the community, highlighting the perils of boating in unpredictable weather and the unforgiving nature of cold water. Toni was described as a white female with brown hair, standing at 4'7" and weighing approximately 65 pounds at the time of her disappearance. The incident is classified as a "Lost/Injured Missing" case.Last Seen: May 24, 1980
