A 22-year-old man from Austria died last week in a packrafting accident in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, an official said.
Aidan Don, from Salzburg, Austria, died Aug. 2 after his raft capsized, National Park Service spokeswoman Margie Steigerwald wrote in a release. His body was recovered the next day.
Don and a friend, who were both novice packrafters, were dropped off at a lake near the base of the Nizina Glacier for a daylong packrafting trip on Aug. 2, according to Steigerwald.
Three miles downriver, the two men became separated by more than 100 yards, Steigerwald wrote. The friend then spotted a capsized raft "and no sign of (Don)."
The friend landed on an island and called for emergency assistance via satellite phone, Steigerwald wrote.
Don's body was spotted by aerial searchers 4 miles farther downstream, on the south side of Nizina River, near Mile High Cliffs, Steigerwald said. The surviving man was picked up, and searchers called for additional help with the recovery.
A helicopter was requested due to difficulty in accessing Don's remains, Steigerwald wrote. With help from Denali National Park and Preserve crew, park rangers recovered Don's body around noon on Aug. 3.
"The body was transported to the state medical examiner and an investigation is on-going," she wrote. The men were not wearing flotation devices, according to Steigerwald.
"Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve rivers are cold, silty and conditions change constantly depending on rain and sun, both of which increase the volume and depth of the water," Steigerwald wrote. "The Park's rivers can be extremely challenging, even for experts, and are not recommended for unguided novice rafters. Dry suits and personal flotation devices are highly recommended for all river rafting and packrafting trips in the park."