Friend can’t find missing kayaker — then rescuers hear shouting, CA cops say

A woman who vanished while kayaking on a Northern California creek alerted searchers by shouting for help, California sheriff’s officials reported.

A friend reported the 24-year-old woman missing on Battle Creek when she failed to turn up at a bridge at 9:26 p.m. Sunday, June 15, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

He told deputies he had been searching for her for about 90 minutes, sheriff’s officials said.

Deputies looking for the woman heard her shouting for help but could not reach her over the difficult terrain, sheriff’s officials said.

They used a drone to locate her and the sheriff’s swift water rescue team retrieved her, deputies said.

The woman also ignited a fire to signal for help before deputies arrived, sheriff’s officials said. The fire was safely extinguished.

The woman did not require medical aid, deputies said.

Shasta County is about a 200-mile drive north from Sacramento.

This story was originally published June 17, 2025 at 12:27 PM with the headline "Friend can’t find missing kayaker — then rescuers hear shouting, CA cops say."