- 11/5/2024 12:52:13 PM
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The Klutina River, shown here in June of 2007, flows into the Copper River near Copper Center, Alaska. A Pennsylvania woman passed away on Sunday following a tragic incident on the Klutina River. According to Alaska State Troopers, 65-year-old Deborah Ann Burke of Harrisburg was on a river raft with a guide and two other passengers when the raft got pinned against landslide debris by the river current, causing it to capsize. The guide, Burke, and one other passenger were rescued by other rafts in the group, while a fourth person was saved by Good Samaritans in a river jet boat downstream. Unfortunately, Burke succumbed to her injuries and could not be saved by first responders. One passenger and the guide were airlifted to Anchorage with serious injuries. The trip was led by Copper River Guides and began at 4:30 p.m., with authorities being notified of the incident around 6:25 p.m. Copper Center is located approximately 200 road miles east of Anchorage, where the Klutina River meets the Copper River. Companies offering rafting trips describe the Klutina River as having Class III rapids, with varying levels of intensity. A National Weather Service stream gauge indicates that river levels at Copper Center have been rising through June and have leveled off in the current month. Jeremy Hsieh from Alaska Public Media in Anchorage covers news relating to housing, homelessness, infrastructure, and development. He can be contacted at jhsieh@alaskapublic.org or 907-550-8428.
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