2 dead, 2 rescued by guide after commercial raft flips on river in Washington
Two people have died after a commercially-operated raft flipped on the North Fork of the Nooksack River in northwestern Washington.
Four customers and a guide were on the raft Tuesday afternoon when it flipped in rapids near the town of Glacier, the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook.
The guide pulled the two female rafters out of the water but the two male rafters were swept downstream.
A commercially operated river raft with four customers and a guide on board overturned on the river. https://t.co/YN0OTKw7DR
— KIRO 7 (@KIRO7Seattle) June 17, 2022
Swift water rescue technicians, a K-9 team and drone operators were called for the search. A Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue team and a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter also assisted.
Kayakers affiliated with Glacier Fire on Tuesday found the body of one of the men near a log jam about a half-mile downstream.
Customs and Border Protection located the body of the second man downriver of the Highway 542 bridge on Wednesday afternoon just west of Glacier.
Both men are believed to have drowned, according to the sheriff's office. Both were wearing wetsuits, helmets and lifejackets, officials said.
Their names haven't been released.
Meanwhile, authorities said two people died in separate river accidents in western Colorado.