MARICOPA COUNTY — A married couple drowned while floating the lower Salt River on a single inflatable kayak, and neither was wearing a life jacket, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said it got a call around 1:30 p.m. Saturday reporting a man yelling that his wife could not swim, ABC15 reported.
Aerial units and an airboat found the woman’s body around 2:10 p.m., and the man’s body was found around 3 p.m., according to MCSO.
The victims were identified as 68-year-old Cindy Bowers and 59-year-old Anthony Beringer.
The lower Salt River, east of Mesa in the Tonto National Forest, is a popular spot for tubing and kayaking. Safety officials routinely urge anyone floating or paddling Arizona rivers to wear a properly fitted life jacket, avoid going out when water is high or fast and never go alone.
Sources: ABC15. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Durben, Mark, creator / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
