Re: Hiker rope crossing river swept away

April 4, 2011
Family, friend remember hiker who died
By EUGENE W. FIELDS
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
ANAHEIM – An Anaheim man who died while hiking in the Angeles National Forest was an experienced hiker, a hiking companion said on Monday.
The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office confirmed Monday that the body found in the forest is that of Joe Le, 20, who had been missing since Friday.
The body of the Westminster High alumnus was discovered Sunday afternoon by authorities near the San Gabriel River in the Coyote Flats area. Le was hiking with others near the Camp Williams Resort in Azusa when he fell into the river and was carried away, said Lt. Craig Boyett of Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
One of Le's hiking partners, Brian Tran, told deputies that his friend was trying to cross the waist-high frigid waters along a rope crossing when he was swept downstream.


http://www.ocregister.com/news/angeles-294847-body-river.html

The east fork is running quite high right now. Fording it wouldn't be easy.

As dangerous as crossing a raging river is going for a swim to get cleaned up. I remember back in 2006 when I hiked down the S. Kaibab to the Colorodo River, there was a search going on for a missing backpacker. This girl, a foreign worker, had gone camping down by the river with her boyfriend; he told authorities that she had left camp to take a bath in the river. And, that same year, on someone's JMT trip report, there was a picture of a missing persons flier that the sheriff's office had posted on the JMT near the San Joaquin River, I believe. This lady was last seen bathing alone on the bank of the river.