St. Paul man drowns in Alaska rafting accident

Authorities say a 22-year-old man from St. Paul drowned when his raft overturned on a river in the foothills of the Brooks Range.

North Slope Borough police say Jaymes H. Schoenberg's body was discovered Saturday, more than seven miles from where his friend, Robert LaMontagne of Fairbanks, had last seen him the day before.

Schoenberg spent about six months working on a sailboat in Mexico before traveling north this summer to look for work and adventure.

He and LaMontagne had just started a 12-day rafting trip when he was swept down the Sagavanirktok River, commonly known as the Sag River. North Slope Police Officer Steve Lee says the river has been higher than normal because of heavy rains.

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Information from: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, http://www.newsminer.com

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