Rescuers search for woman who fell into Carbon River

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CARBONADO, Wash. - There is an active rescue operation underway for a 29-year-old woman who reportedly fell into the Carbon River on Sunday morning.

Timeline:

She fell into the water around 11:30 a.m. with her dog, according to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office. Deputies say her girlfriend had to hike out of the area to be able to make the 911 call.

First responders were able to find the dog with a drone a couple miles down the river. However, search operations from the Swiftwater Rescue Team were called off Saturday afternoon due to dangerous conditions.

PCSO announced Monday morning the operation was now a search and recovery mission, instead of a search and rescue operation.

"We can’t even get a swift water rescue team on a boat on the water. It is way too dangerous," said Pierce County Deputy Carly Cappetto. "If you were to be swept up and engulfed in that water, it's not something that you could easily get out of."

Rescue teams find and take the missing hiker's dog to safety

Drone searches were ongoing Sunday evening, with additional drone teams being called to the scene by PCSO.

FOX 13 crews confirmed the road was blocked about three miles from the Fairfax Bridge on Sunday. The closest town to the scene of the woman's disappearance is Carbonado.

The water is cold, running fast, and in an area where rain is falling. Obstacles like rocks and large tree branches are making the rescue operation even more difficult. Cell service in the immediate area is extremely limited.

What they're saying:

"The challenging part too is you have huge rocks, sharp rocks. You've got debris in that river, you've got logs, heavy thick brush of forest and trees. This isn't like terrain that you can just go and have a brisk walk in. It definitely requires strategic ways of getting down there safely…" said PCSO Deputy Carly Cappetto.

Coast Guard, fire, search and rescue teams, along with PSCO, have been working together on the afternoon of Mar. 23 to try and find the woman.

East Pierce Fire released the following statement to the public on Monday morning:

"It was a tragic day on the Carbon River. Authorities will resume searching today for someone who fell in the river yesterday afternoon. Many public safety agencies were engaged in this incident, from fire to law enforcement to the Coast Guard and Parks Department. Our hearts hurt for the family and friends affected."

While the water teams have had to suspend operations until weather conditions improve, there are ropes teams and other search and rescue teams still working on active search efforts.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information continues to come in.