By Rachel Drinkard
Turnagain Times Correspondent
A helicopter supported rescue was carried out early this month on Glacier Creek when a guided whitewater raft trip turned deadly.
Ronnee Zoffer, 73, of Laguna Hills, Calif., was declared dead on the scene from unknown causes. Her husband, Charles Zoffer, 75, was critically injured and flown to Providence Alaska Medical Center where he was treated and eventually released.
Alaska Backcountry Access guide Lance Terry and Daniel Paz, a guide for Anchorage-based Salmon Berry Tours, were unharmed and able to call for help.
The National Guard, Life Guard, State Troopers, and Girdwood firefighters and EMS responded promptly to the call, landing three helicopters on a sand bar downstream from the hand tram shortly before 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 3.
Girdwood Fire Chief Bill Chadwick said he suspects that the woman drowned after going into cardiac arrest upon falling into the water. He said CPR was performed on her for about an hour after she was rescued.
Chadwick said the water was very high that day after fairly heavy rains. But even with the recent rains, the river was running at a manageable class II whitewater, said Andy Morrison, owner of Alaska Backcountry Access.
Members of the party were outfitted in dry suits, life vests, helmets, wet suit booties and gloves when they were swept from the 14-foot self-bailing whitewater raft through rocky terrain.
“All activities carry an element of risk,” said Morrison, who reports having a full emergency plan on file with the Municipality. “We do everything we can to minimize and manage that risk, but it will always exist.”
Morrison has been running rivers throughout the country for a total of 17 years and has been guiding trips down Glacier Creek for three years. He is the first and only company conducting a full service adventure tours company in Girdwood that guides trips down the scenic 3.5 mile Glacier Creek, which he describes as a popular multi-generational. He says the company is equipped to outfit and guide clients of all ability levels.
Despite operating for several years, Chadwick was unaware of the operation and was surprised to find out a company was offering guided trips on the creek.
“I was not aware that anybody was running a commercial trip up there,” he said, “and I didn’t have a safety and rescue plan for something like that, and I have a plan for nearly every outfit in Girdwood.”
Chadwick added that Alaska Backcountry Access did provide a safety plan to the Girdwood Board of Supervisors but it was never passed on to him.
“I need to be prepared for these types of things,” he said. “I need to know how to get equipment to the creek up there.”
But, in the end, Chadwick admits that a safety plan would not have saved Ronnee Zoffer that day.
“It was a tragedy, it was a loss,” Morrison said. “It was compounding factors that led to the situation and it was just an accident.
“My heart goes out to the Zoffer family. I admire their love and amazing human spirit.”
A memorial was held for Ronnee Zoffer on Sept. 7 at Evergreen Memorial in Anchorage.
Ken Smith contributed to this story.