Two people died and 11 were rescued in separate incidents over the Memorial Day weekend along the Kern River, a destination for whitewater rafting about three hours north of Los Angeles. Flowing from the base of Mount Whitney to Bakersfield, the 165-mile Kern River is sometimes called the “Killer Kern” for its deadly potential as one of the fastest-flowing rivers in the West. Class IV rapids are intense and turbulent, and can feature large, unavoidable waves that can require fast maneuvers. At least two other people have died on the Kern River this year, according to the Bakersfield Californian — a 34-year-old woman whose death in March in the Kern River Canyon was ruled a suicide, and a 60-year-old man who fell out of a kayak while in the Kern River near Hart Park. In 2015, the Kern River Festival, which draws hundreds of professional and recreational paddlers each year, was canceled for the first time in 51 years.

Source: Los Angeles Times May 29, 2017 20:30 UTC