A weekend trip on Arizona's Salt River ended tragically for a married couple who drowned after their inflatable kayak capsized. Cindy Bowers, 68, and Anthony Beringer, 59, of Chandler, were found dead underwater after becoming stranded in the river on Saturday.
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office received a report of a man yelling in the lower region of the river around 1:30 p.m., which is believed to have been Beringer alerting others to his wife's distress after their kayak overturned and she could not swim.
Deputies arrived at the scene but could not immediately locate the couple. Bowers' body was recovered by helicopter around 2:11 p.m., and her husband was found about 45 minutes later, around 3 p.m.
An investigation into the drownings is ongoing. Officials noted that neither Bowers nor Beringer were wearing life jackets. The Salt River Project had released additional water from the Bartlett and Stewart Mountain dams to manage floodwaters due to heavy rainfall, leading to higher-than-normal water levels and potentially dangerous currents.
The National Weather Service had issued a flood warning for the area, which was in effect through November 7. The sheriff's office cautioned the public to use caution and stay away from the Lower Salt River due to the increased flows and rapidly changing conditions.
