5th Drowning of Season Recorded in South Yuba River By Rita Steven Jul 3 10:14am There was another drowning in the South Yuba River Saturday. This is the 5th death in the river this season. A 41 year old man from the Sacramento area was joining a group of friends who planned to tube down the river from the Highway 49 Bridge crossing, to Bridgeport. The man, who was not wearing a lift jacket, was pushed off his tube at a spot where the river rapids increased. His foot was pinned in some rocks about 7 feet under the surface. His friends tried to dive down and help, but the currents were too strong. In response to a 9-11 call, a Swift Water Rescue team responded but by that time the man had been under the water for 45 minutes. The Body was recovered and a CHP Helicopter lifted it out of the canyon. The sheriff’s department is not releasing the man’s name pending notification of kin.