Arizona man presumed dead after Nov. 9 river accident

A northern Arizona resident missing since a Nov. 9 canoe accident on the Colorado River is presumed to have drowned, according to National Park Service officials.

Park Service spokesman Andrew Munoz said Bill Gurule, 58, and a friend were tossed into the water when their canoe flipped as they tried to run the rapids at Iceberg Canyon near the Nevada-Arizona border.

Munoz said the friend, an Arizona man whose name, age and hometown were withheld, was wearing a life vest and made it safely to shore. He said Gurule was not wearing a life vest.

Munoz said the Park Service is prohibiting watercraft launches at Pierce Ferry because of dangerous stretches of rapids down river.

The agency will have a meeting at the Meadview Civic Association building at 2 p.m. Monday to answer questions about the incident.