Full Notification

PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release: 06/06/2016 1:00 p.m.

Valdez, AK – Valdez Fire Department Surface Water Rescue Team responded late Saturday to reports of an overturned raft in Keystone Canyon with six people in the water.

At approximately 7:07 p.m. on Saturday, June 4th, Valdez Fire and Police Dispatch received multiple reports of people, including a child, in the Lowe River inside Keystone Canyon. Responders arrived on scene within five minutes and were advised the raft hit a bridge pillar and overturned, sending all six passengers into the river.

Multiple bystanders attempted to pull the rafters out of the water. Four of the rafters were able to self-rescue shortly after capsizing. The remaining two rafters, a 48 year-old female and 9 year-old female, were swept down river approximately one mile.

Bystanders located the 48 year-old female unresponsive on the right bank of the river and began CPR. Upon arrival, emergency medical technicians provided advanced life support care on scene and transported the woman by ambulance to Providence Valdez Medical Center where she was pronounced deceased.

After successfully self-rescuing, the lead member of the rafting party jumped into the river to locate the 9 year-old female. The child managed to self-rescue and the adult rafter swam to her location. Both remained on the far bank of the river upon first responder arrival. Three Fire Department Surface Water Rescue Team personnel utilized the department’s rescue raft to cross the river. Both the adult and child rafter were checked for injuries and transported across the river. Responders transported the child to Providence Valdez Medical Center for hypothermia observation.

An additional rafter, a 31-year old male, was transported to Providence Valdez Medical Center by ambulance due to difficulty breathing and chest pain.

The private raft excursion on the Lowe River was part of a retreat program based in Fairbanks. All six occupants of the raft were from the Fairbanks area. The incident took place during their second trip down the river on Saturday. All were wearing dry suits and personal floatation devices.

The Lowe River through Keystone Canyon is rated Class III in difficulty.

The incident remains under investigation. Next of kin have been notified.

Posted June 6, 2016
Allie Ferko, PIO, City of Valdez

(Photos courtesy Dean Cummings, H2O Guides.)