The body of a 28-year-old woman who went missing after she and her dog fell into a Washington state river has been recovered, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.
Zuleika Witron’s body was found in the river by a civilian flying a drone in the area Sunday morning, according to the sheriff’s department.
She was found about two miles downriver from where she fell in, according to Deputy Carly Cappetto. She was identified by her family after her body was pulled out by recovery crews.
Zuleika Witron has been missing since Tuesday after she and her dog fell off the Fairfax Bridge and into the Carbon River in Washington.
Witron was hiking with her girlfriend and two dogs on Tuesday when she and one of the dogs fell off the Fairfax Bridge and into the Carbon River in Washington, located in Mount Rainier National Park, police said Sunday.
The woman’s girlfriend “witnessed her being swept away in the heavy current and attempted to grab her before being swept away in the rapids,” police said.
The dog was rescued about a quarter mile downstream and was returned to Witron’s girlfriend, police said.
The area’s sharp rocks, steep inclines, thick brush and slippery conditions made it difficult for rescue teams to access.
“We want to thank all the first responders and volunteers that put many hours into this search since Sunday,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement. “Zuleika’s recovery can hopefully bring closure and peace to the family and all involved in this tragic incident.”
