# Information needed on 2 Kern River Deaths



## SugarHigh (Mar 7, 2017)

A pretty through article. Deadly holiday weekend on roaring Kern River: 3 dead, 24 rescued - LA Times

Key quotes: 

280 deatsh on Kern since 1968.

In the last wet winter, in 2012, about two dozen people died on the Kern.

On Saturday, a man in his 40s died after falling into the river from a raft operated by Sierra South, a local outfitter, Kemmerling said. The raft was navigating the Cable Run, a Class IV rapid that is intense and turbulent.

The accident occurred about five miles north of Kernville, where the river water was 40 degrees, Kemmerling said. Rescuers performed CPR for about 20 minutes; he was rushed to Kern Valley Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Tom Moore, president of Sierra South, said the man was part of a church group and was a last-minute substitute.

He was wearing a wetsuit and life jacket, Moore said. The man fell backward out of the inflatable raft when it was hit by a wave, he added.

The man was able to grab on to a kayak that had been tailing the raft, and after grabbing hold of a paddle he was pulled back onto the raft, Moore said. He was following commands and was responsive, but he collapsed shortly after he was pulled back into the boat, Moore said.

Moore said a relative of the victim told him that the coroner suspects a heart attack. The coroner was unreachable Monday night.


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