Man swimming to island is pulled into rapids, CA cops say. Body found week later

A man swimming with friends in the Klamath River died after being pulled into the rapids and carried downstream, California sheriff’s officials reported.

Jeffrey Plum, 50, was swept away trying to swim to an island in the middle of the river in the Seiad Valley area just before 4 p.m. May 29, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office said in a Tuesday, June 10, news release.

His friends told deputies that Plum, of Hemet, was a strong swimmer and declined to wear a life jacket, authorities said. He didn’t ask for help or act distressed when he couldn’t reach the island, but when his friends checked on him he was missing.

A weeklong search ensued along the river involving search teams from several counties, deputies said.

Two jet skiers found Plum’s body in the river at 12:06 p.m. Friday, June 6, deputies said. His body was found about 6 miles downstream from where he went missing.

“As temperatures rise this summer, it is important to remember that our rivers remain cold and fast-moving due to snowmelt,” deputies said in the release.

“Such conditions can prove difficult for even the strongest swimmers, so we encourage everyone to wear a life vest on the river,” deputies said.

“The most dangerous thing about the Klamath River is that it doesn’t look dangerous,” read one Facebook comment on the release. “There is a very strong current underneath the surface and visibility is limited.”

Siskiyou County is about a 265-mile drive north from Sacramento.

This story was originally published June 12, 2025 at 1:25 PM with the headline "Man swimming to island is pulled into rapids, CA cops say. Body found week later."