Woman drowns in California river, held underwater by dog’s tangled leash

A woman drowned in a Fresno County river when she and her dog fell from a raft and the leash connecting them became caught on a submerged tree branch, the sheriff’s office said.

The accident happened around 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, in the Kings River near Reedley.

Mary Marshall, 63, of Menifee, was among a group of a dozen friends who were floating together on rafts. She had her German shepherd with her, the leash attached to a harness Marshall was wearing.

When their raft veered into a tree in the river, the dog jumped off, and Marshall fell into the water as the raft flipped, the sheriff’s report said.

They were caught in a strainer — a turbulent flow of water against an object — and the leash became wrapped around a branch. Both were held underwater.

The rescue crew had to cut the leash to free them. Marshall and her dog were drowned.

Marshall was retired from the Marine Corps, and she and her friends made an annual trip to the Kings River for a rafting outing, the sheriff’s office said.

The sheriff’s report noted that Marshall’s raft was tied to another one — a practice that’s discouraged because it makes it harder to escape dangerous situations. Marshall was not wearing a life jacket.