Crews to rappel down waterfall in search for missing teen

Search crews are looking for a north-central Idaho teen who has been missing since he fell down a waterfall at a popular hiking spot on Sunday.

Clearwater County Sheriff Chris Goetz told The Lewiston Tribune the 16-year-old Deary High School student was hiking with a small group of friends near Elk Creek when he apparently slipped and went over the edge of the waterfall into a 23-foot deep pool of water.

Crews have worked to reduce water levels by diverting water through a spillway upstream, and search and rescue crews planned to rappel down the face of the falls Wednesday morning in hopes of searching a pool of water behind the waterfall. Search dogs have indicated the teen is near the base of the falls, officials said.

Elk Creek Falls is popular with hikers for the scenic beauty of its succession of waterfalls through a forested gorge about 4 miles south of Elk River. Goetz said people should always stay away from the edge of the water, especially when near the top of the falls.