Woman drowns while on church rafting trip
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MITCHELL COUNTY, NC (WLOS) — An investigation is underway after a woman drowned while on a church group rafting trip in Mitchell County.
The NC Wildlife Resources Commission Law Enforcement Division says on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020, at approximately 4:30 p.m., a raft on the Nolichucky River in Mitchell County capsized while carrying a church group.
Mitchell County Sheriff Donald Street confirms the group was from Odom’s Chapel Freewill Baptist Church in Bakersville.
Witnesses said a 64-year-old female, who was wearing a PFD and a helmet, went under the water and remained there for 5 to 8 minutes before being pulled out.
CPR was performed on the scene but was not successful.
Officials have identified the woman as Louvella Yelton Arrowood of Bakersville, NC. An obituary written for Arrowood on Henline – Hughes Funeral Home’s website says she served as a nurse over the years with Blue Ridge Regional Hospital and several private practices.
The Mitchell County Sherriff’s Office notified Officer William Boone with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Law Enforcement Division who will be the lead investigator for this incident.
Gail Wilson with NC Wildlife Resources Commission tells News 13 their investigation will determine who was operating the boat and how many people were in it. He says that the basic information so far is that the boat flipped and the victim died.
“This location is about 500 yards from where the raft flipped,” Officer Boone described part of the area they are investigating. “The area where the victim went in is called the ‘Quarter-mile Rapids’ because for a quarter-mile stretch there is nothing but rapids. The river was high at the time of the raft flipping over.”
Boone says the risk factor is high in what he describes as a “technical area.” He says the raft company involved is based in Erwin, Tennessee and that they are performing their own internal investigation as well.
“Since the location of the accident was inside US Forest service boundaries, the company is also passing on their investigation report to the Forest Service when it’s complete,” he says.
At this time this incident is still under investigation.
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