Accident Database: Accident #494
| River: | American, S. Fk. |
| Section: | Chili bar |
| Location: | Below first rapids across from putin |
| Gauge: | 6500 |
| Water Level: | High |
| Difficulty: | II |
| Accident Code(s): | Swim Into Tree |
| Injury Code(s): | Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal, Fatal |
| Age: | 27 |
| Experienced/Inexperienced: | Inexperienced |
| Private/Commercial: | Commercial |
| Boat Type: | Raft |
| Number of Occupants: | 3 |
| Number of Victims: | 1 |
| Initial Report: | California, which has experienced both a heavy snowpack and a cool spring, is in for a prolonged period of extremely high water. Already eleven rafting fatalities have been reported; two involved a mother and child on an air mattress, but the rest are for real! Three occurred within a few days of each other on the South Fork of the American near Lotus, California. A popular Class III+ summer run at 1200-1600 cfs, at 6,000-8,000 cfs the river becomes very continuous and turbulent. At this point it should be considered heavy class IV-IV+. Most of this information was reported by AW Director and Friends of the River conservationist Richard Penny.
On June 21 Brenda Cercone, 27 drowned after the Chili Bar put-in of the South Fork of the American after a raft she was in flipped on the eddyline. This was a trip designed to offer outdoor opportunities to inner city youth. She was washed downstream into a strainer. She was recovered quickly (10 minutes) and was found to have a pulse. She was taken to Marshall Hospital in nearby Placerville. She died several days later without regaining consciousness. |
| Report Status: | Completed |