Cause of elderly woman's death in St. Joe wildfire area determined

WALLACE — The Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) reports that the 74- year old Emmett, Idaho woman who was found deceased in the St. Joe National Forest earlier last month died as a result of heat exhaustion and dehydration.

Virgina Bayes and her husband, Walter, 79, became stranded and separated in a remote area of southern Shoshone County while out recreating in late July.

To make a bad situation worse, the couple were also in the vicinity of the Buck wildfire area.

On Aug. 8, SCSO received a call stating that a male subject (W. Bayes) was in need of medical attention and extraction from a remote location near Bath Tub Mountain.

A multi-agency rescue effort was launched to locate and rescue him.

W. Bayes was located by wildland firefighters who were combating the forest fire.

Before he was evacuated out via helicopter, he informed rescue crews that his wife was also missing and the last time he saw V. Bayes was nine days prior.

After a coordinated search from air and ground crews, V. Bayes was found in the wilderness deceased.

SCSO received the results of the medical examination on Sept. 7.

To read the full back story of this incident, visit http://www.shoshonenewspress.com/article/20170809/ARTICLE/170809953.