Missing woman found dead after 3 saved when raft overturns, Montana rescuers say

A 44-year-old woman has been found dead after rescuers saved two adults and a child from a capsized raft in the Stillwater River, Montana authorities told news outlets.

The body of Julie Capdeville Freeman, of Laurel, Montana, was found in the Yellowstone River on Wednesday, June 8, sheriff’s officials said in a news release.

Stillwater County Search & Rescue posted on Facebook about a rescue at Beartooth Drop on the river, with a photo of an inflatable raft wrapped around a bridge pillar.

Two adults and a child were pulled from the river in Columbus after their raft capsized around 1 p.m. Sunday, June 5, KECI reported.

Freeman was not wearing a lifejacket when the raft overturned.

No one else on the raft was injured, officials said.

The search for Freeman had been complicated by rough weather and unsafe conditions on the river.

Columbus, Montana, which has a population of nearly 2,000, is a city about 40 miles southwest of Billings.

This story was originally published June 6, 2022 at 12:47 PM with the headline "Missing woman found dead after 3 saved when raft overturns, Montana rescuers say."