On Sunday 03-05-23 Operator and 5 friends put in 3 boats at First camp on the Salt River near Hwy 60. on Monday at approximately 1600 hours 2 of the 3 boats flipped in a section known as Boy Scout Wall Just before Granite Falls. This is at approximately Mi. 15.5 on the river map. 

Subject1 was on Operator's boat because he was thrown from his boat a short time earlier. Operator/ Subject1 were knocked into the water and Operator's boat flipped when they were hit by the other boat in their party as both boats hit Boy Scout Wall. 

Subject1 was in the water and observed Operator in the water holding the flip line on his overturned boat. The water swirled the boat and when it came back around again Operator was not in sight. It is unclear exactly what Operator was wearing. It is believed he was wearing neoprene pants and possibly a flotation vest under a splash coat. It is believed Operator brought 2 vests a gray one and a red one. A red vest was recovered after the accident. After Subject1 did not see Operator holding the boat he and another member of the party swam to river right near a confluence. They stayed the night and made contact with the other 3 members the next morning who were down river on river left near Mi. 16.5 they traveled down river to the last camp spot on Gleeson flats where the road connects to Gleeson Flats. Along the way they located Operator's life jacket, then Operator's boat. It appears third party boaters reported a ghost boat (Un-manned) and lots of gear along the river and floating down the river. There were 3 known separate reports to GCSO via Garmin In-Reach devices which were transferred to White Mountain Game Rangers. The Game rangers searched the area from vehicles and on Private boats.

DR#230400209
On 04-08-23 at approximately 1417 hours the White Mountain Apache Game Ranger Dispatch called GCSO and advised a male used a sat phone and reported the located a body floating just above Gleeson Flats. Their group wrapped it in a blue tarp and pulled it up onto the shore the coordinates are 33.77148, -110.68548.

Salt River
San Carlos                    