Have You Heard of the Boise River Robin Hood? Bert Kreisher Has!

The Crap We've Lost on the Boise River

Per the lyrical wisdom of The Offspring's Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?, front man Dexter Holland croons, "Don't waste your whole life trying to get back what was taken away."

Holland, who holds three degrees from USC, including a PhD in molecular biology, is an undoubtedly smart guy. His bigger point to let things go in the 2008 hit song is pretty straightforward. The struggle is putting it to practice. This is especially true when it comes to the crap we've lost on the Boise River.

The Struggle is Real

Laugh all you want, but until you've suffered the loss of something truly valuable during a day-float down the Boise River, you don't know the struggle. Wallets, car keys, glasses, shoes, backpacks, ores, beer coolers, and cell phones are some of the river's favorite things to swindle from locals.

Nine years ago, I lost a pair of brand new Adidas shorts on a float. That might not seem so bad, but the adorable joggers were all I had to wear for the day ahead. I spent the next six hours praying my hair tie would keep my makeshift towel-skirt together while we toured my in-laws around downtown Boise. But despite how new and flattering they were, I let the $50 loss go.

Meet Boise's River Robin Hood

Today if I lost something more valuable than a pair of shorts on the river, I would call Boise's River Robin Hood to help me retrieve it. Meet Rocky Detwiler, known locally as River Robin Hood!

River Robin Hood // Facebook

Detwiler made national news when he recovered comedian Bert Kreisher's cell phone from the river back in July. The Boise man became a household name in the Treasure Valley in 2019 when he recovered a teen's prosthetic leg on a dive in the Boise River. When he found another prosthetic leg the following year in 2020, locals dubbed him "River Robin Hood."

Despite the quirky nickname, Detwiler's not in the business of stealing from the rich to give the poor. He's just a guy who loves helping people.

He helped me in the biggest way he could, wasn’t even looking for my phone but found it contacted me and helped me figure out a location to pick it up he’s a amazing diver/man for the honest work he does definitely recommend. -Adian Sleight 2023

If you or someone you know has lost something sentimental or valuable on the Boise River, call the River Robin Hood at (602) 384-3333 or email him at cruz77@mac.com!

For a look at the River Robin Hood in action, check out photo of him retrieving Bert Kreisher's cell in the gallery below.