Jax Hale Death – The Payette County Sheriff’s Office has released the identity of the boy who drowned on Payette River on Sunday, August 2, 2020 while on a family outing as Jax Hale, the young son of Senior Deputy with the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office, Michael Hale.
Report says that the Jax was playing with his parents who were seeking relief from the heat on the Payette River near New Plymouth when Jax suddenly went missing. Jax has an older brother and two sisters.
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The Payette County Sheriff’s Office reports that around 3.50 p.m on Sunday, they got a 911 call from bystanders on a boy who had gone missing in the river. This report issued a massive search for Jax. The search team included the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office, Baker County Sheriff’s Office, New Plymouth Fire Department, Payette Fire Department, Ontario Fire Department, Payette County Paramedics, and New Plymouth QRU.
Jax was later found at 8. p.m near the Highway 52 bridge by the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office and was recovered at 9.45 p.m by the Baker County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team.
After preliminary investigation, the cause of death was determined to be freshwater drowning, says Payette County Coroner Keith Schuller.
An account is being set up at a local bank to help the Hale family with expenses.
A Facebook post by the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office thanked all those who assisted in the search:
“I want to thank the Payette County Sheriff’s Office, The New Plymouth Rural Fire Department, The Payette County Ambulance and Paramedics, Payette County Coroner’s Office, Gem County Idaho Divers, Malheur County Search and Rescue, Baker County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Divers, Rod Blackstead and his helicopter, as well others that I failed to mention and the many people who called to offer assistance.”
The bereaved family request for privacy while they grieve their loss.