Searchers Recover Body of Woman Who Drowned in Merced River
Search teams have recovered the body of a Huntington Beach woman who drowned more than three weeks ago when she fell into Yosemite Valley’s Merced River while taking pictures.
The body of Michelle Boettcher, 23, was found in the river Monday evening about 100 yards downstream from the point where she fell on July 5, said Jeni Weber, Yosemite National Park Service spokeswoman.
Search teams using helicopters and dog teams combed the area for five days after Boettcher’s disappearance, but Weber said authorities were unable to locate the body because of high water levels.
The search was resumed Sunday when water levels dropped. Authorities found the body in the middle of the swift river under a large overhanging boulder.
Boettcher was Yosemite National Park’s seventh drowning victim of the year.
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