http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700027606/Two-bodies-pulled-from-Narrows-in-Zion-National-Park.html

Two missing rafters' bodies pulled from Narrows in Zion National Park
Published: Monday, April 26, 2010 9:10 p.m. MDT

ZION NATIONAL PARK - The bodies of two rafters who have been missing since
Saturday were pulled from the river in the Narrows area of Zion National
Park on Monday.

About 9 a.m., a body was discovered in the North Fork of the Virgin River
near the Gateway to the Zion Narrows, according to a prepared statement from
park officials.

About 1:40 p.m., a second body was found in the river about two miles below
where the first was found, said park spokesman Ron Terry.

At the same time the first body was discovered, a search and rescue
operation was under way for two men who were overdue from their planned trip
to float through the Zion Narrows on a raft Saturday afternoon.

Two men, both in their 20s and from Nevada, reportedly set off on a raft
made of logs along the the Narrows, Terry said. It was reported that their
intent was to hike to the confluence with Deep Creek, construct a log raft
and float through the Narrows. The men did not have a permit from the park
to be on the river as is required when the water level is running as high as
it currently is, he said.

At the time, the north fork of the Virgin River was running about 250 cubic
feet per second with water temperatures of 40 degrees.

"They did not talk with rangers," Terry said.

Family members of the men contacted park officials after they became overdue
from their trip. The men were supposed to finish the 47-50 mile trip on
Saturday afternoon in Hurricane, Washington County.

The victims didn't have any cold water gear or personal flotation devices
and carried little food with them. According to the park, had the men
checked in with park rangers, they would not have received a permit due to
inappropriate planning and lack of personal safety equipment.

Park officials have reopened all areas of Zion Canyon that were temporarily
closed during the search and body recoveries. The Washington County
Sheriff's office is investigating the incident in cooperation with National
Park Service, which is standard procedure in the case of a fatality in the
park.

The names of the victims are being witheld pending all family members being
notified.

- Pat Reavy and Lana Groves