Backcountry Camper Dies After Fall into Swift Water

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News Release Date: August 30, 2015
Contact: Kathleen Kelly, 907- 683-9504

A backcountry camper, last seen Thursday at 10 a.m., was found dead Friday morning by the crew aboard a National Park Service (NPS) Contract Helicopter in Denali National Park and Preserve.

The woman, identified as KC Boehly, 28, from Seattle, camped with a co-worker the previous two nights in the park’s backcountry.

While trying to make their way back to the Denali Park Road, the campers made two unsuccessful attempts to cross a swiftly moving tributary of Stony Creek, each time moving farther upstream as they tried to find a safer crossing. On a third attempt the victim fell into the water and was swept downstream.

Several days of rain in the area have caused the park’s creeks and rivers to rise, and the swift moving water has made crossings very dangerous.

Staff from Camp Denali, where KC was employed, reported the incident to park officials on Thursday afternoon.

Approximately 40 people were involved in the search, including NPS and Camp Denali employees on foot, helicopter personnel and two search and rescue-trained dogs and their handlers.

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