Ephraim Dayley, 13, disappeared during a family tubing outing before a large search effort located him the following afternoon.
FROMBERG, Mont. — Ephraim Dayley, 13, was found dead Sept. 17 in the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River after authorities said he helped his sister reach safety when the two encountered trouble while tubing during a family outing.
Dayley disappeared the afternoon of Sept. 16 near Fromberg, setting off a search involving law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical crews, divers and aircraft. Carbon County Sheriff Josh McQuillan said Dayley and his sister had been tubing when she ended up in the water and had difficulty getting back onto the tube. Dayley went to help her, authorities said. She made it safely to shore, but he did not.
McQuillan said some details of the incident remained unclear, including whether the girl had fallen from the tube or was trying to get off when she began struggling. What authorities had established was that Dayley went to her aid and helped her reach safety. “She made it to shore and he did not,” McQuillan told MTN News.
The Carbon County Sheriff’s Office was notified shortly after 4 p.m. Sept. 16 that Dayley had gone into the river while spending time there with family and could not be found. Amy Hayfield, a public information officer for the sheriff’s office, said crews focused on the river while also considering whether the boy might have gotten out of the water elsewhere and become lost or disoriented.
The search grew as additional agencies arrived from around the region. Responders included local volunteer fire departments, emergency medical crews, sheriff’s offices from neighboring counties and specialized water-rescue personnel. Teams searched from the river, its banks and the air. Divers worked in the water while drones and a Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office helicopter were used to scan the area.
Officials asked people to stay away from the Lower River Road area during the operation so rescue crews could move safely. They also asked members of the public not to fly private drones nearby because those aircraft could interfere with official drones and the helicopter being used in the search. McQuillan said witnesses had reported seeing Dayley go underwater and noted that the river contains deep holes even when its water level is not especially high.
The search continued into Sept. 17. Crews located Dayley shortly before 2 p.m. in the river, ending an operation that had lasted nearly a day. Montana Independent News reported that an underwater drone brought by the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office helped locate him before a dive team completed the recovery.
Dayley was homeschooled and was a middle-school student, according to reporting from Cowboy State Daily. A staff member with the Fromberg School District told the outlet that although he was homeschooled, he had become a familiar presence at school events. A Fromberg neighbor also recalled Dayley and his sisters doing yard work in the community during the summer.
The Carbon County Sheriff’s Office thanked the numerous agencies, emergency personnel, businesses and community members who assisted during the search. The sheriff’s office also offered condolences to Dayley’s family and friends after his body was recovered.
As of Sept. 20, authorities had not publicly announced additional findings explaining the precise sequence of events in the river or released a formal cause of death. No further official investigation findings had been made public.
Author note: Last updated September 20, 2026.