Kansas woman dies Sunday in debris accident on Buffalo National River

A Kansas woman died last weekend in a greenhouse accident on the Buffalo National River near Carver.

According to a press release from the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service, the dispatch center was notified of a possible drowning accident in the upper reaches of the river near Carver around 5 p.m. Sunday. Authorities say the victim, identified as 69-year-old Judy Henderson-Bailey of Topeka, Kansas, was riding in a private kayak when it capsized after hitting a tree in the riverbed. After capsizing, Henderson-Bailey was pulled under a submerged tree.

Members of Henderson-Bailey’s rescue team attempted unsuccessfully to pull her from the water. She was not wearing a flotation device at the time of the incident.

According to authorities, the river level at that location was “low” at the time of the incident.

The Newton County Sheriff’s Office and the Hasty Volunteer Fire Department also responded to the incident.

Rivers and streams have rip currents, fallen trees and underwater obstructions that can make paddling more difficult. Buffalo National River offers a life jacket loaner program where visitors can borrow a life jacket from the Steel Creek Ranger Station, Tyler Bend Visitor Center or Buffalo Point Ranger Station. For more information, call the Tyler Bend Visitor Center at 870-439-2502.

To report an emergency, call 911 or the park’s 24-hour emergency dispatch center at 888-692-1162.

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