While official search and rescue efforts to locate a local boy who fell into the Snake River while hunting were called off Monday evening, his family and friends will continue to try and find him through at least the end of this week.

The Bingham County Sheriff’s Office on Monday provided what will be the final update until spring arrives in the search for Jayden Jensen, 16, of Pocatello, who was last seen around 1 p.m. on Dec. 6 when he fell into the Snake River trying to retrieve a duck he shot while hunting with friends. As of Tuesday evening, Jayden had not yet been located.

“We regret to inform you that it is no longer feasible for us to continue due to the ice,” the sheriff’s office said about the search in a Monday evening Facebook post. “We are confident through collaboration with several entities that we have done everything in our power and used all of the appropriate resources available to give ourselves the best chance to recover Jayden. We had a very personal moment with the Jensen family (Monday) evening as we informed them in person of our decision. What an amazing family they are.”

The post continued, “Our hearts are heavy. We are exhausted. Side-by-side, search and rescue and sheriff’s deputies gave a valiant effort. Several worked each and every one of the days since this tragedy occurred on Dec. 6…. We plan to strategically pick up in the spring as conditions allow. Our hearts go out to the Jensen family and any of the numerous lives that Jayden touched. Without meeting him, we feel like we can say we know him. Recovery or not, his legacy lives on. Kindness, humility, love, and respect. From what we understand, he was all those things and more personified.”

Khris Cummings, a friend of the Jensen family, provided the Idaho State Journal with an update on the personal search efforts during a Monday afternoon phone call.

The remote area where the incident occurred is in very rough terrain near McTucker Ponds and the American Falls Reservoir, with emergency crews searching both the Snake River and the reservoir for the missing boy.

A growing ice shelf on the reservoir has complicated search efforts and was ultimately the reason for official search efforts being called off. Both the ramp at the Sportsman’s access point and the main ramp on the West side of the reservoir were too icy to facilitate any boat launches over the weekend, Cummings said. The Bingham County Search and Rescue crew used the Tilden access point and traveled the banks of the reservoir this past weekend, she added.

To assist in coordinating the personal search efforts for the missing boy, which will continue through at least Friday, the Facebook page Bringing Jayden Home was created on Dec. 13 and a command post with the same name was established at the Willow Bay Marina, Cummings said.

Cummings said all individuals who arrive to help search for Jayden are being asked to check in and out at the command post in order to be assigned a grid to search and to receive equipment such as life jackets and polarized sunglasses.

The command post has rules that are posted to help ensure searchers remain safe and don’t exacerbate the situation, Cummings said.

A few sets of polarized glasses are available at the command post but it is recommended that searchers bring their own pair as well and also pack binoculars to aid in the search.

In addition to those walking the banks and search and rescue crews operating boats along the shoreline, the search includes one personal boat, one drone, two ATVs, two small airplanes, and a helicopter, Cummings said.

“The Diesel Brothers out of Salt Lake City brought a catamaran ice-breaking boat and on top of that a dive team out of Oregon has joined them as well,” she said. “Also, our ATVs, walkers and drone operators are coordinating their efforts just in case there is a point of interest that we can bring the drone to and fly over.”

Cummings said the Diesel Brothers and Oregon dive team also stopped assisting the family when the official search was called off on Monday night.

The plan is for family and friends to continue to search for Jayden as the weather allows, Cummings said. Having been missing for nearly two weeks, efforts to locate Jayden have switched from a rescue to a recovery mission.

Jayden’s father, Shawn Jensen, posted an update to Facebook on Sunday morning thanking those who have continued to help in the search efforts.

“This is our twelfth day in searching for my son,” he wrote. “I want to thank everyone for their love and support and people being out here in the harsh terrain and weather every day helping me search to bring him home. I definitely have my faith restored in humanity. We have an amazing community. I’m finding out every day how amazing my son is and how he touched so many hearts.”

He continued, “Please keep your prayers going for our family, his mom Erin Calderon and our daughter Delaney. And all the people that come out to keep that search going, including all the counties that are pulling together and the search and rescue.”