Southcentral Pennsylvania woman dies in rafting accident in Alaska

FOR NEWS EIGHT. BARBARA. THANKS. NEW AT FIVE A HARRISBURG WOMAN HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THE VICTIM OF A FATAL RAFTING ACCIDENT IN ALASKA. NEWS EIGHT’S JERE GISH IS HERE TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED IN THE AREA. WE HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE ALASKA STATE POLICE ABOUT IT. THAT’S CORRECT. BRIAN AND LORI, THE POLICE OFFICERS THERE, TELL US THAT THE VICTIM DIED ON SUNDAY AFTER THE RAFT SHE WAS RIDENING OVERWORDED. SHE HAS SINCE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS 65-YEAR-OLD DEBORAH BURKE. POLICE OFFICERS SAY THERE WERE A TOTAL OF THREE RAFTS ON THE KLUTINA RIVER IN COPPER CENTER, OUTSIDE ANCHORAGE IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE STATE. BURKE WAS ONE OF FOUR PEOPLE ON THE RAFT WHEN IT WAS LOCKED AGAINST LANDSLIDE DEBRIS BY THE RIVER’S CURRENT AND ROLLED OVER. TWO OTHER GUIDED RAFTERS WERE WITH IT WHEN IT ROLLED OVER AND BURKE WAS DECIDED AT THE SCENE. THE RAFTING GUIDE AND ONE OF THE OTHER PASSENGERS WERE TREATED AT THE SCENE BEFORE BEING TRAFFICKED TO AN ANCHORAGE FOR MORE SERIOUS INJURIES. AT LAST CHECK, THEY ARE EXPECTED TO BE OK. BURKE’S FAMILY WAS THERE WHEN IT HAPPENED. WE DO NOT KNOW IF THEY HAVE RETURNED TO HARRISBURG FROM ALASKA AT THAT TIME. The Kootenai River in Copper Center was full Sunday evening, meaning it was just one level below the level of minor flooding. The river has been flowing since

Pennsylvania woman dies in rafting accident in Alaska

Updated: 5:54 p.m. EDT, July 9, 2024

A Susquehanna Valley woman has died in a rafting accident in Alaska. Alaska State Troopers identified the victim as Deborah Burke, 65, of Harrisburg. Investigators said she was in one of three guided rafting trips on the Klutina River near Copper Center, northeast of Anchorage, on Sunday. The river’s current pushed her raft against landslide debris and it overturned. Burke, the guide and another passenger were pulled from the water and placed in another rafting trip…

COPPER CENTER, Alaska —

A woman from the Susquehanna Valley died in a rafting accident in Alaska.

Alaska State Police identified the victim as Deborah Burke, 65, of Harrisburg.

Investigators said she was in one of three guided rafts on the Klutina River near Copper Center, northeast of Anchorage, on Sunday.

Their raft was pushed against the debris of a landslide by the current of the river and overturned.

Burke, the tour guide and another passenger were pulled from the water onto another raft, but Burke succumbed to her injuries.

Police said a fourth person was rescued downstream by Good Samaritans.

According to police, the tour guide and one of the rescued passengers were flown to Anchorage with serious injuries. Nothing is known about their condition.