Rafting Accident Ends Tragically for Lisle Woman

Rafting guide missing following off-duty accident

A Lisle woman is presumed dead following a Colorado rafting incident.

Kimberly Appelson, 23, was rafting with four friends on the Arkansas River on July 11 when she was ejected into the water near a dangerous underwater hazard, according to the Daily Herald.

Appelson's body had not been found as of Monday, and recovery efforts were suspended for a few weeks until the water flow drops, the newspaper reported.

Appelson, who was a raft guide, is being mourned by her local friends and family, including 200 people who filled a Naperville church Sunday for a tribute.

The Naperville North High School graduate attended the University of Iowa and was living and working for Arkansas Valley Adventures.

Officials said Appelson was wearing a life vest but not a helmet during the off-duty excursion, the Daily Herald reported.

Tributes to Appelson are popping up online, including a Facebook tribute page and a YouTube video (below).

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