2 Women Die After Falling From Raft

Two women were thrown from a raft and drowned near Alaska’s Denali National Park, and nine other people who tried to rescue them were treated for hypothermia. The women, both 75, were in a raft with five people on a 13-mile scenic tour of the Nenana River, state Trooper Bill Tyler said. “They hit a swell in the water and then went into a whirlpool,” Tyler said. “The raft was literally just sucked down.” The women were the only ones thrown from the raft. Two other rafts came around a bend in the river, saw the victims in the water and tried to help. By the time troopers arrived, 18 people were wet and cold as they waited on the riverbank. Nine were treated for mild hypothermia. The women were identified as Eloise Hubbard of Doraville, Ga., and Doris North of Decatur, Ga. The tour company, Alaska Raft Adventure, has suspended operations.