Married couple drown after inflatable kayak capsizes in Arizona river

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 5 Nov, 21:26 · Archive

A married couple drowned in Arizona's Salt River on Halloween after their inflatable kayak capsized; neither was wearing a life vest.

Anthony Beringer, 59, and his wife Cindy Bowers, 68, drowned on 31 October while floating down Arizona's Salt River near Mesa. Emergency responders received a report around 1:30 p.m. of a man yelling that his wife could not swim. Both went underwater; Beringer apparently attempted to reach his drowning wife. Bowers' body was recovered around 2:11 p.m. and Beringer's was found roughly 50 minutes later upstream.

Investigators confirmed the couple were sharing a single inflatable kayak and that neither was wearing a life vest. The couple lived in Chandler, Arizona, though they had different last names. The incident remains under investigation, with authorities declining to release further details about what led to the deaths.

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office warned people to stay away from the Lower Salt River following the incident, as Salt River Project was releasing higher-than-normal water levels that created dangerous currents and rapidly changing conditions. The Lower Salt River stretch, about 40 minutes east of downtown Phoenix, is a popular spot for tubing and catching glimpses of wild horses.

How it is being reported

• Husband and wife drown in inflatable kayak as they navigated Arizona river on HalloweenA witness reported hearing the man yell that his wife could not swimIndependent World · 5 Nov, 21:10
• Married couple drown in river after their inflatable kayak capsizesInvestigators confirmed the couple was sharing a single inflatable kayak and that neither was wearing a life vest.New York Post · 5 Nov, 19:50

In this story: Anthony Beringer · Cindy Bowers · Salt River · Arizona · Maricopa County Sheriff's Office · Salt River Project

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