Search for drowning victim scaled back but will resume when river slows

The search for a second presumed drowning victim has been scaled back after three days of searching the upper Tule River, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.

The amount of water flowing in the fast-moving river east of Springville must go down for further hands-on searching to take place, said spokeswoman Teresa Douglass. It’s unknown when that will occur.

Meanwhile, resident deputies will be present in the area, the Sheriff’s Office said.

About 10 a.m. Thursday, two young women in their 20s were hiking in a party of five along an area of the river called The Lower Stairs, above Coffee Camp recreation site, the Sheriff’s Office said. One woman fell in and the other tried to rescue her but also was swept downstream, officials said.

The body of one victim was recovered Thursday. Both women are from Kern County, officials said. Their names have not been released. The search took place Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

This story was originally published April 18, 2017 at 5:05 PM with the headline "Search for drowning victim scaled back but will resume when river slows."