A 24-year-old Eureka Springs woman who died while inner-tubing in a flooded creek on Saturday was identified Tuesday as Montana Widener.
According to a news release from the Eureka Springs Police Department, Widener was wearing a helmet, goggles and life vest when she jumped with an inner-tube into Leatherwood Creek, which is basically a drainage ditch along North Main Street.
According to the news release, Widener jumped into the floodwaters from a street bridge on Magnetic Drive, then floated to a driveway bridge at the Tree House Cottages, where she "was knocked off her inner-tube and went under water."
Police received a call about the emergency at about 9:20 p.m. A search and rescue team was dispatched, which found Widener's life vest down stream. The search was called off later Saturday night because of rising waters. Main Street and Magnetic Drive were closed due to the flooding.
At about 7:30 a.m. Sunday, police were notified that Widener's body had been found near the depot of the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway, about 700 yards downstream from where Widener was last seen.
Jim Kelley, assistant fire chief in Eureka Springs, said Widener was floating in flooded Main Street before attempting to inner-tube in the drainage ditch.
Kelley said the creek is about 6 feet to 8 feet wide and was about that same depth on Saturday. The water was running underneath some footbridges and over others, he said.
“It is very very swift when it gets full,” said Kelley. “It’s such a narrow channel.”
Widener was originally from Huntsville, according to the release.
Read Wednesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.