Desperate search underway for American river rafter swept underwater 'without life jacket'

An emergency search has been launched for a rafter who disappeared on the American River in the Sacramento area on Saturday afternoon.

The Sacramento Metro Fire Department is on the hunt for a man who was part of a larger rafting group and was last spotted at Clay Banks, situated downstream from Ambassador Park and upstream from the Riverside Picnic Area.

It's reported that the man wasn't wearing a life jacket when he was pulled underwater and failed to resurface. Despite boats and drones scouring the area there has been no sign of the missing man.

It is understood that the man entered the water at around 11:30am and units from the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District were dispatched to the incident.

According to the Falsom Times, they are searching for an adult male, who has been described as being in his 30’s and dressed in a black shirt and maroon and white pants. The man was reportedly rafting with a large party and fell into the waters , according to reports from Sac Metro Fire.

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Firefighters have now shifted their efforts into recovery mode. Assistance has been requested from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office's dive team and the Sacramento Drowning Accident Rescue Team. Underwater operations are set to commence once conditions are deemed safe, according to firefighters.

It has been reported by The Sacramento Bee that recent flows on the river at Fair Oaks were measured as fast as 3,600 cubic feet per second, twice the mean average for this time of year.

Firefighters have raised the high number of floaters on the river this weekend. They say underwater operations are a big risk on their own and the risk grows when more people are on the river.

Battalion Chief Parker Wilbourn, a spokesman for the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District said “At this point, we’re in recovery mode and not expecting to locate a viable victim,” in a social media post.

Wilbourn said DART teams would continue the effort through sundown Saturday “using sonar and underwater diving techniques to locate the missing person” before the Sheriff’s Office was expected to take over the search on Father’s Day morning.

“The operation carries a great deal of risk,” he said. “And the risk is even greater with thousands of people floating down the river during the operation.”

During the search the crews found several people on the river including two people who appeared stranded in snags, or tree branches sticking out of the river, Wilbourn said. An additional three people nearby were helped out of the water by personnel from Metro Fire, the Sheriff’s Office and county parks officials.