Search for woman who fell into Pierce County’s Carbon River turns to recovery mission
The search for the 28-year-old woman who fell into the Carbon River with her dog in southeast Pierce County turned into a recovery mission Monday.
Zuleika Witron was taking a hike with her dog and girlfriend at about 11:45 a.m. near Fairfax Bridge, south of the town of Carbonado. Witron and her dog fell into the river, and the heavy current swept them away. Her girlfriend tried to grab her, but was not able to, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Carly Cappetto said in a statement to The News Tribune.
Drones were used to search the river. The dog was found a quarter of a mile downstream Sunday, Cappetto wrote. The dog was returned to Witron’s family.
“SAR Rope techs were able to get above the dog and set up a system to get to the dog. Fire responded with more rope techs and the dog was rescued. While that occurred Drone units continued the search about 1.5 miles downriver,” the statement said.
A Coast Guard helicopter was en rout, but could not go to the river as the visibility was limited, Cappetto said.
The News Tribune previously reported that in addition to the Sheriff’s Office area fire crews and the Coast Guard were on scene. Bystanders and bicyclists also joined the search.
The search was suspended at 6:13 p.m. due to the weather, terrain and darkness, Cappetto said.
Drones were at the site and continued searching for Witron on Monday. The operation then shifted to a recovery mission.
This story was originally published March 24, 2025 at 3:55 PM.
