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| Drowning Victim Mihn Nguyen. |
www.Economy4ABC.Blogspot.com
June 25, 2011
11:15 p.m. PST
Kern River, CA
The body of Minh Nguyen, the 24 year old Westminister native who went missing nearly two weeks ago after a horrific rafting incident on the Kern River has been located, according to friends of the victim.
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| MISSING: NEACATO |
Nguyen went missing after he and Scott Neacato and others were visiting the popular river location with friends during a weekend celebration on June 13. The two were swept away in dangerous and aggressive rapids.
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| Seen: Raft that carried both Neacato and Nguyen seen after accident. Tulare County Sheriff Photo |
Local search and rescue teams were searching for another man who went missing on Friday (who's name has not been released) when helicopters searching the rugged wooded area spotted the body of Nguyen, and around 40 feet away, a second body was found. That body turned out to be of the missing man, and not Neacato. "Randy, I just got off the phone with Minh's girlfriend who was up there today and s
he told me that they had a helicopter out searching for another man who went missing yesterday. That's when a helicopter saw something in the water and the Sheriffs came out to search and found Minh's body stuck under a tree in the water and 40ft near him was another body who turned out to be the man that went missing yesterday," said Varun Shahi, a lifelong friend of Neacato's.
The popular camping site is located about 10 miles north of Kernville, in Tulare County, it is a very popular location for college and university students to visit during spring and summer breaks.
A local volunteer group called the "J.I. Joe Group" was in the area assisting in the search efforts.
Here is the original statement from the Tulare County Sheriff's Department regarding the situation:
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| Near ocation where pair went missing |
MISSING #2:
Nguyen , Minh Tu Quang age 25 of Westminster CA
Nguyen , Minh Tu Quang age 25 of Westminster CA
Last seen wearing: Light Green Polo Shirt / Brown Shorts
Both missing persons were on a camping trip with approximately 11 friends in the area of Ant Canyon, an unimproved campsite on the Kern River in Tulare County. On 06/13/2011 at approximately 1840 hours a 911 call was placed at a business in River Kern, Kern County. The group had tied a line across the river and then tied a small, two-man raft to the line. Both Neacato and Nguyen were in the raft which was in the middle of the river, approximately fifty (50) yards from the north shore. It appears the raft was pulled into a boil (turbulence) and subsequently was partially submerged and capsized due to the extreme current. Both subjects were swept down-river, river-center. Friends and family advised Neacato did not know how to swim. Neither subject was wearing a life jacket or exposure protection. The area where both subjects went in the water is approximately 200 yards above multiple class four and class five rapids. The Kern River flow is estimated to be running at approximately 4,800 CFS (Cubic Feet per Second.) Due to this year's above average snowpack and current high air temperatures, the flow is expected to peak at 6,000 CFS within the next few days. The water temperature is estimated to be approximately 42-45 degrees. Deputies and US Forest Service personnel arrived on scene within approximately twenty (20) minutes of the call and began a hasty search of the area with negative results for either subject. The first operational period was postponed at 2400 hours on 06/14/2011 due to darkness. The search and rescue (SAR) was initiated to begin the second operational period at 0800 hours on 06/14/2011. TCSO SAR and Swiftwater/Dive personnel began bank searches of the area at 0500 hours. TCSO Divers were inserted above the point last seen (PLS) in an effort to bank search the far south west side of the river. TCSO SAR personnel performed a copious search of both river banks approximately two (2) miles down from the PLS. CHP Helicopter arrived in the area at approximately 1100 hours and began air operations within the search area which included the Whiskey Flat trail which runs the south west side of the river in its entirety to Kernville. Due to terrain difficulties and the dangerous conditions of the river's flow, divers were unable to continue the bank search on the far side of the river as the south west river bank cliffs-out. Divers were unable to probe any pools, hydraulics or obvious eddies which may have held a body. It was not possible to safely or effectively construct technical highlines to aid in the search. As of 1800 hours on 06/14/2011, there was no sign of either subject. The search was scaled back with active SAR Operations ending and will continue by personnel from TCSO, USFS, CHP and KCSO until both subjects are located.
The Tulare County Sheriff's Office wants to encourage media to please continue to put out water safety information. http://www.tularesheriff.info/watersafety.html . Photos http://www.tularesheriff.info/news_sar_061511.html Two videos On Tulare County Sheriff's YouTube Channel under case # 11-7865 http://www.youtube.com/user/TulareCountySheriff
Image via Wikipedia
4 comments:
So sad. Wait, there was another body found with Minh's, and it wasn't Scott? That means THREE people have been killed on this ONE RIVER? Where is the REST of the MEDIA on this news.
RIP My Anonymous Friend, The unidentified man was my friend. You will be missed. You are loved by many and it is so say that you were taken in this manner. My thoughts and prayers are with your friends and family. Lots of Love, Bunnie
To the above post...
Can you share the name of your friend, and tell us more about him or her? Thoughts and Prayers are with you...
Everyone that enters the river needs to respect it. There are bolders underneath that you cannot see...it is called the "Killer Kern" for a reason.
Rosie, Pomona, CA
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