NRGNPP says body found in Gauley was recovered on Fayette County side

FAYETTE COUNTY, W.Va. (WVVA) - The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is giving more details into the body that was recovered from the Gauley River on Monday.

Eve West, Chief of Interpretation and Visitors Services for the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, tells WVVA that the body was recovered from the Fayette County side of the Upper Gauley. According to West, the upper Gauley is extreme white water with numerous Class IV and Class V rapids and very little resting waters.

Agencies involved with the rescue include the Ansted, Oak Hill, and Fayetteville Volunteer Fire Departments, the Beaver Volunteer Fire Department Dive Team, the Fayette County Rope and Rescue Team, Jan Care Ambulance, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

The national park is encouraging rafters to take extra levels of precaution following the incident.

“There are risks inherent with any sport like this, any high adventure sport, so it’s good to know your skill levels, as we’ve said before,” West explained. “Ant time you are on or near the water, you definitely want to have a Personal Flotation Device. You want to make sure that that PFD is rated for the classification of water that you’re going to be on...that it fits properly...”

The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is expected to release more information on this recovery once the Chief Medical Examiner’s Officer has identified the body.

Stay with WVVA for updates.

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