On May 24, 1980, 38-year-old Laddie Erwin Schiess, his 10-year-old daughter Toni Schiess, his friend Larry Hill, age 38, and Larry's 6-year-old son Rex Hill, were on a fishing trip at Palisades Reservoir in Bonneville County, Idaho. They were accompanied by four other people on a fourteen-foot aluminum boat. The group was enjoying their time on the water, but the weather conditions were poor and the water was rough.
The boat, heavily laden with eight passengers and only one life jacket, was about 100 yards from the shore near the "Overlook at the Narrows" when it was suddenly swamped by a wave and capsized. All eight individuals were thrown into the frigid water, which had a surface temperature of about 51 degrees.
The sudden and tragic turn of events sparked a frantic struggle for survival in the icy waters of the reservoir. Other boaters in the vicinity witnessed the accident and immediately came to their aid, managing to rescue four of the eight passengers. Peter Bates, who was on the boat with his son, was able to cling to the overturned vessel and pull three others to safety: his own son, one of Laddie Schiess's other children, and another young boy. Despite these heroic efforts, Laddie, his daughter Toni, Larry Hill, and his son Rex disappeared into the turbulent water. The water at the location of the capsizing was approximately 120 feet deep, compounding the difficulty of the situation.
Extensive search and rescue operations were launched in the aftermath of the accident, but they yielded no signs of the four missing individuals. The vastness of the Palisades Reservoir, with its 70 miles of shoreline, numerous campgrounds, and boat ramps, made the search a challenging endeavor. The reservoir is situated within the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, approximately 55 miles southeast of Idaho Falls. Despite the exhaustive efforts of law enforcement and rescue teams, the bodies of Laddie Schiess, Toni Schiess, Larry Hill, and Rex Hill were never recovered. They are all presumed to have drowned in the tragic boating accident. The case remains a painful memory for the families and the community, a stark reminder of the unforgiving power of nature.Last Seen: May 24, 1980
