JOSEPHINE COUNTY, Ore. (Aug. 10, 2026) — Authorities recovered the body of a rafter who went missing after his inflatable raft became pinned in a rapid on the Rogue River, the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office said.
The incident began Aug. 4 when 911 received a message from a Garmin GPS device reporting a rafting accident at Wildcat Rapid in the Wild and Scenic section of the Rogue River. The device was used to communicate with the rafting party while sheriff’s deputies, Search and Rescue volunteers and Bureau of Land Management personnel coordinated a response.
The rafter, identified as 65-year-old Reid Litwack, was in an inflatable raft when it became pinned in the rapid. Litwack was swept underwater and did not resurface, according to authorities.
Deputies and BLM personnel began hiking into the area at about 5:30 a.m. Aug. 5, taking several hours to reach the remaining members of the rafting party. The group was able to hike out on its own. BLM personnel arranged to float the party’s belongings and equipment farther downriver and place them in a secure location for later retrieval.
Litwack remained missing.
On Aug. 7, another rafting party sent a satellite message to 911 reporting that it had discovered a body downstream from the location of the original accident.
Deputies, Search and Rescue personnel and BLM employees launched a recovery operation from Grave Creek. BLM personnel navigated the river for about two hours before reaching the area described in the message. However, markers that had been placed to help locate the body were no longer present, and an extensive search failed to locate it.
Authorities returned to the river Saturday morning, Aug. 8, launching again from Grave Creek.
At about 2:01 p.m., dispatchers received a satellite message from deputies reporting that the body had been located and recovered. Search and Rescue volunteers met deputies at Black Bar Lodge to assist with transportation.
Investigators believe the body is that of Litwack, but official identification will require confirmation through the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office. His next of kin have been notified.
The sheriff’s office expressed condolences to Litwack’s family and friends and thanked BLM personnel, Search and Rescue volunteers and Black Bar Lodge for their assistance with the recovery.
Authorities also urged people recreating on the Rogue River and in other remote areas to prepare for medical emergencies and carry alternate forms of communication because cellular service can be unavailable.
Officials recommend that people share their planned route and expected return time with someone before heading into remote areas.
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