A 55-year-old man and his 10-year-old son from Berkeley, Calif. died on the North Fork of the Nooksack River in Washington after their raft overturned on June 14, according to authorities.
The father has been identified as John Coleman. He and his family had a second home in the county area of the South Shore for over ten years, and neighbors are mourning the loss of members of what they said was a “fun-loving” family.
According to the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to a report of an overturned commercially operated raft at 3 p.m. on June 14. The raft with a guide and four customers dipped over in a rapid area near the Snowline neighborhood in Glacier. Two females were rescued by the guide but the two males were swept downstream.
Immediately, deputies dispatched swift water rescue technicians, K-9, and drone operators. Border Patrol Search, Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) also responded along with a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) helicopter which arrived around 4:30 pm.
At 7:30 p.m., local kayakers affiliated with Glacier Fire located the body of the young male submerged in a log jam approximately ½ mile from where the raft had flipped. Search operations were suspended at dusk and resumed the following morning. At 3:45 p.m., a helicopter found the body of the missing male downriver.
The Colemans were both wearing wetsuits, helmets, and lifejackets.