CARBONADO, Wash. — The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office says the family of a woman who fell into the Carbon River with her dog is offering a $10,000 reward for anyone who finds her, dead or alive.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue crews, drone teams, fire rope teams, and boat resources, along with the Coast Guard, have actively been searching for Zuleika Witron since she fell into the river on Sunday.
The woman’s sister told KIRO 7 that one of the dogs was slipping during their hike, and she tried to save it, but they both went into the water.
The Fairfax Bridge and the surrounding Carbon River area includes a 50-foot drop into the river canyon bed, and crews say it is proving difficult and dangerous to find her.
“We are not encouraging others to go down to the river to search for Zuleika due to the extreme risk and safety concerns for others,” the sheriff’s office said.
The Carbon River is running extremely high due to high temperatures and atmospheric river rainfall from the weekend, and the water is about 35 degrees because it is glacier-fed from Mount Rainier.
“The potential for the public to be in danger is significant due to terrain and water conditions. We advise that no one searches directly below the bridge to Carbonado due the danger,” the sheriff’s office said. “The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office would hate to see more people lose their lives for an attempt to make $10,000.”
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