From Luke Baugh: I do not know exactly where this person died. The upper Skagit (Skagit 1 on AW) has a few large wave trains that define easy Class 3; this rapid is called “S-Bends”. These rapids are at Milepost 114. We found the paddleboard at milepost 109.7, 5.3 miles downriver. I don’t know how long the paddleboard floated, but it is possible that the person died in the rapid. I believe, based on inference, that this person put in at Copper Creek, which is below the S-Bends, and died on a simple wood feature, which are prevalent on this section (Skagit 2 on AW I believe). The river is slow and meandering, it is inner tube water aside from the cold water (52 degrees) and wood hazards. Approximately 3000 cfs makes this a pretty big river relatively. Strongly believe this person was sober, wearing PFD. Looks like maybe he got caught on the outside of a riverbend and hit a wood obstruction. Skagit fatality. On 7/29 I was approached by two people at our operational headquarters in Marblemount. They stated that they had recently lost a friend/co worker in the river. I immediately asked them to come sit down with me in the area where the camp chairs are. The two people explained that their friend Charles Claassen, had died on 7/27 in a paddleboarding accident. They stated that he was paddleboarding with his fiance Mary who is an expert professional paddleboarder. I inquired if they would be comfortable with me asking a few questions; they agreed it would be fine. They explained that the leash was involved, and that Charles died on a wood hazard entrapped by his ankle leash. They did not know exactly where on the river he had died. They explained that Mary had managed to free him from his leash only after he had drown. They asked if our staff would be willing to get Charles’ paddleboard for Mary, and I told them we would. They gave coordinates of a wood feature where the paddleboard had been spotted, which was 2 miles downriver from the National Park Boundary at Bacon Creek. It is clear that the paddleboard simply washed up there. As reported, the paddleboard leash was intact and uncut. We were able to retrieve the paddleboard and return it to them in the evening of 7/29. Our hearts and condolences go out to all involved, and the friends and family of Charles Claassen.