Here's a bit more information from the pdx kayaker list.


Search for Portland rafter on hold  
04/28/2003

By KGW Staff


Search crews do not plan to return Tuesday to the Wind River, where  
a woman slipped from a grounded raft and is presumed drowned.


Lauren Orton, 32, from Portland, was on a guided rafting trip when  
her raft hit a rock, flipping the boat over about 1 p.m. on Sunday  
under the High Bridge. Orton was on board with three others, but  
Orton and another woman fell into the water.

  
Crews from All Star rafting help in the search for Lauren Orton.  
(KGW Photo)  
The other woman swam to safety, but Orton was last seen floating  
down the rapid, said Dave Slover, the owner of All Star Rafting.


"It's not unheard of.to have a raft on a rock," he said. "The boat  
goes up sideways on the rock, and sticks to it on the upstream side.  
Where the girls were in the front of the boat, there was a lot of  
current sweeping through the boat, and it just pulled them both  
right out."


Slover said he's rafted this stretch of the wind river a hundred  
times. But this trip haunts him.


"It's the most crushing 24 hours of my life so far," Slover  
said. "It's hard to deal with."


Slover sent two crews to help Skamania County dive team members  
search the bank of the Wind River for Orton.


"That particular spot where it feeds over those rocks.it's just  
boiling, and it's white, and so, if she got underneath that, it's  
possible she could be pinned in there, being held by the water,"  
said Skamania County Sheriff Dave Brown.


Searchers found Orton's helmet and life vest, but their search on  
Monday for Orton yielded nothing. Brown said searchers would  
continue looking for Orton as long as it's safe to do so.



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As many of you have heard, there has been a search effort underway for a
missing rafter on the Wind River since last Sunday. Many of you know Dave
Slover who has asked me to post this report. First, Dave thanks all of you
for your support through these postings and actual assistance on the river
since Sunday. Notwithstanding 5 days of constant effort from many people,
both professionals and volunteers,  there has been no success if locating
the missing female, Lauren. We are asking anyone who has plans to paddle the
Wind to keep an eye out for anything that might assist us. The incident
occured on the lower Wind River run in High Bridge rapids, not on the more
popular upper run. Lauren was last seen in the water, river right side,
approximately halfway through the rapid. Within minutes of last being seen,
her lifejacket, helmet and sprayjacket appeared in the turbulence below the
last large ledge in the rapid. The lifejacket and helmet were still fully
buckled. Given the nature of this recovery, it appears to be a textbook
example of an underwater entrapment and worth noting for people running this
last ledge. The entire rapid can be seen from the bridge north of Carson by
looking upstream. The concensus after detailed probing of this drop is that
the right side pourover has an underwater hazard, although it is unclear
whether Lauren entered the right or left side of the drop. The immediate
area has been searched repetatively and to the extent possible given the
turbulence in this riverwide ledge/pourover. It is entirely possible that
Lauren is still there. It is also possible that she is downstream, and
anyone boating in that area should be particularily observant. Lauren had on
a dark blue or black farmer john wetsuit with a magenta colored fleece
underneath. There are family members searching this area by foot daily.
Anything observed should be carefully noted as to exact location and
reported via 911 to the Sheriff.  To the extent that qualified boaters make
this run over the next few weeks in an effort to increase the chances of
some finality, we thank you. Contact me with any questions. rr