A U.S. Air Force service member died over the weekend following a kayaking accident in a section of the Chena River that runs through Fairbanks.
Staff Sergeant Christian Diaz, 24, went into the river Friday after his boat flipped while paddling with three friends near Pioneer Park, according to Fairbanks Police Department (FPD).
Diaz was assigned to the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base in Korea but was in Alaska for Red Flag training at Eielson Air Force Base, according to a press release from the Korea installation.
FPD spokesperson Teal Soden said he was not wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident.
“City dispatch received a call Friday evening that a kayaker had overturned in the Chena River, and his friend had seen him struggle and then go under the water,” she said.
Soden said police interviewed witnesses and Fairbanks Fire Department personnel searched for Diaz Friday before recovery operations began.
Multiple agencies contributed to those recovery efforts throughout the weekend, including the Fairbanks police and fire departments, University Fire, Village Public Safety Officers, service members from Eielson, volunteers from PAWS Search and Rescue, Volunteers in Police and Hard Core Divers.
Crews found Diaz’s body Sunday evening around 7 p.m. near the Pioneer Park boat launch, close to where he originally flipped, according to FPD.
Next of kin have been notified. Soden said no foul play is suspected and that Diaz’s body is being sent to the medical examiner’s office in Anchorage.
Soden also said the Fairbanks police and fire departments urge people to practice good river safety and wear life vests while on the water.
“This is a very tragic situation. A lot of people recreate on the river, and they love to do that here in Alaska, and we would just like to remind people to wear your life jackets. It can really save your life, depending on the situation,” she said.