Topeka woman drowned after kayak flipped in Arkansas

TOPEKA (KSNT) — A Topeka woman is dead after drowning in a National Park in Arkansas.

Around 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 19, dispatch with the Buffalo National River was notified of a possible drowning in the upper district of the river, near Carver. Judy K. Bailey, 69, of Topeka, was found floating in a private kayak, according to a social media post from Buffalo National River. That kayak was flipped over after hitting a tree in the river channel.

According to the post, after turning the kayak over in the water, Bailey was pulled under a submerged tree. The people that she was floating with reportedly tried to free her from the tree, but were unsuccessful.

She was not wearing a personal floatation device at the time of her death. According to Buffalo National River, the river level was "low" at the location of the incident.

The Newton County Sheriff's Office and the Hasty Volunteer Fire Department responded to the incident, according to the social media post. Currents, down trees and underwater obstructions in rivers and creeks can make paddling or floating more challenging.

Services for Bailey will be June 8 in Topeka.

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