A married couple died in a double drowning accident while kayaking on Arizona's Salt River, authorities reported.
Cindy Bowers, 68, and Anthony Beringer, 59, were found deceased in the water on October 31, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO). The MCSO received a report of a man yelling in the lower region of the river around 1:30 p.m., which they believe was an attempt to alert others that his wife was in distress and could not swim.
Deputies responded to the scene but could not immediately locate the couple. The woman's body was discovered at approximately 2:11 p.m., and her husband's body was found upstream about 45 minutes later.
The MCSO stated that neither Bowers nor Beringer were wearing life jackets while floating in an inflatable kayak. The couple's deaths are currently under investigation.
The incident occurred following heavy rainfall over the Halloween weekend, which led the National Weather Service to issue a flood warning for the river area until November 7. The Salt River Project had released additional water from the Bartlett and Stewart Mountain dams to manage reservoir levels, increasing the river's flow. MCSO issued a warning to the public, urging caution and advising people to stay away from the Lower Salt River due to dangerous currents and rapidly changing conditions. They also cautioned against attempting to drive or walk through any flowing water due to potential flooding.