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Two people drowned in separate incidents within three days on a popular Northern California river, including a woman whose life vest became entangled on a tree branch, authorities said.
The deaths occurred last Thursday and Saturday on the Trinity River in Humboldt County, about 250 miles north of San Francisco, according to the sheriff's office.
In the first incident, deputies were called to the Campbell Creek area near Hoopa after a person was reported drowning. Witnesses said the victim walked into chest-deep water before being overcome by the current and swept underwater.
Officers with the Hoopa Tribal Police Department recovered the victim from the river using a patrol boat. Emergency crews performed CPR, but the person was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two days later, deputies responded to a report of a woman going underwater while tubing near Willow Creek.
The woman had been wearing a life vest, but it became caught on a tree branch and trapped her underwater, the sheriff's office said. Friends eventually freed her and began CPR. Deputies and medical personnel continued lifesaving efforts, but she was pronounced dead.
The identities of the two people had not been released pending notification of their families. Autopsies were scheduled, and toxicology results were pending.
The Trinity River is a major tributary of the Klamath River and a popular destination for fishing, swimming, rafting and kayaking.
The sheriff's office warned that the river can contain strong currents, cold water and submerged obstacles, even in areas that appear calm or shallow. Authorities urged visitors to wear properly fitted life jackets, avoid entering the water alone, supervise children closely and stay out of the river while impaired.
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