August 13, 2012
Two sisters from Montana were on a visit to see their dad for his birthday when they drowned in a canoe accident on an Alaskan river.
Sixty year old Fern Johnson and her forty eight year old sister Carol Heater went canoeing with Johnson’s husband Robert. Their brother-in-law, Robert Voris was riding alongside them in a kayak when he saw the canoe hit a log jam and capsize.
The sisters went under the water due to the strength of the current and weren’t able to be saved. Robert Johnson was able to pull himself up onto the log jam. All four of the family members were wearing lifejackets, but for the sisters, the lifejackets just weren’t enough to keep them above the water and debris.
This accident has really shaken up the community of Eagle River. Robert Johnson was even too upset about the accident to talk to interviewers. Although this unfortunate accident wasn’t caused by anyone, there are many of watercraft accidents that happen every year in Alaska. The Alaskan waters tend to be rough and often cause for accidents, especially when another person is negligent in operating their watercraft.
Be sure to call an Anchorage accident attorney if you are ever in a watercraft accident that was caused by another. You may be entitled to compensation.