Police ID Arkansas woman, 24, who died in tubing accident

A 24-year-old Eureka Springs woman who died while inner-tubing in a flooded creek Saturday was identified Tuesday as Montana Widener.

Widener, originally from Huntsville, is one of at least seven people who have died since Saturday in flood-related accidents within the state. Authorities continue to search for two others lost in flooding in Northwest Arkansas.

According to a news release from the Eureka Springs Police Department, Widener was wearing a helmet, goggles and life vest Saturday night 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 and floated to a driveway bridge at 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. Saturday. A search-and-rescue team was dispatched, and its members found Widener's life vest downstream.

The search was called off later Saturday night because of rising floodwaters. Main Street and Magnetic Drive were closed because of 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 704 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 ride the inner tube in the drainage ditch.

Kelley said the creek is 6 feet to 8 feet wide and was about that same depth Saturday.

The water was running underneath some footbridges and over others, he said.

"It is very, very swift when it gets full," Kelley said. "It's such a narrow channel."

Widener's body has been sent to the state Crime Laboratory for an autopsy.

Metro on 05/03/2017