KITTITAS COUNTY, Wash. — The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office says a drone helped them find a woman who went missing while floating the Yakima River.
Just after 9:15 p.m., the 51-year-old woman from Ellensburg got separated from her group.
They were floating the river just east of Cle Elum.
The group had gotten out of the river, but the woman and her inner tube continued downstream.
Deputies say she didn’t have a life jacket or phone with her, and her friends called 911 for help.
As deputies were responding, the caller said they heard yelling near the Twin Pines Drive-In on State Route 970.
Deputies on the ground hiked through brush to the river while a remote pilot launched an infrared-equipped drone. They quickly found her a short distance downriver on the south bank. The drone operator guided deputies on the ground to her location, and deputies were able to safely return her to her friends.
“We’re thankful this ended safely,” the sheriff’s office said. “As the weather warms up, please remember that our rivers are still cold, swift, and unforgiving. Wear a life jacket, keep a protected phone or communication device with you, make a plan with your group, and stay together on the water.”