Mat-Su

One person presumed dead after driving car into Matanuska River

One person was presumed dead after driving a car into the fast-moving Matanuska River on Saturday morning, emergency officials said.

Mat-Su Borough fire, police and emergency crews and the water rescue team responded shortly before 11 a.m. to a report that someone had driven a car over an embankment and into the river north of Sherrod Elementary School in Palmer.

As of Saturday night, rescue workers believed they had found the car but had not yet been able to recover it, Palmer Police Chief Lance Ketterling said. He added that there was little likelihood of anyone who was inside the car being found alive.

"It's recovery at this stage," Ketterling said. "Not a rescue."

He said the person in the car was suspected to be male, but no official identification had been made.

The speed and conditions of the water were complicating recovery efforts. The river is extremely silty, and it was difficult to see even 6 inches down, Ketterling said. He said the car was believed to be about 8 feet beneath the surface of the river.

"At this particular point, we want to get (the car) recovered as quickly as possible," Ketterling said.

Devin Kelly

Devin Kelly was an ADN staff reporter.

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