Body recovered from Washington river

Tim Willert

A body believed to be that of missing John Burroughs High School

student Alisa Belcourt was recovered Friday morning from a river near

Leavenworth, Wash., authorities said.

The body was discovered about 9:30 a.m., less than 100 yards from

the site where Alisa fell from an inflatable raft and disappeared

into the Wenatchee River on Aug. 13, Chelan County Sheriff’s Deputy

Mark Mann said by telephone Friday.

“We believe it’s probably her,” Mann said. “However, our coroner

will have to confirm that.”

Chelan County Coroner Gina Fino could not be reached for comment

Friday.

Mann said the body was recovered by deputies on the swift water

rescue team, and appeared to be that of a young female.

“There are no other bodies missing in the river at this time,” he

said.

Alisa, 15, was visiting her father, who lives in the Seattle

suburb of Redmond, at the time of the accident.

According to initial newspaper reports, Alisa was one of seven

people -- mostly family members -- who were rafting when two of the

rafts flipped in a rough part of the river, spilling five people into

the rapids. Four of the five were rescued.

Family members could not be reached for comment Friday. Alisa’s

mother and father were notified as soon the body was recovered, Mann

said.

Word of Alisa’s disappearance last week shocked the Burroughs High

community and those closest to the honor student, who was about to

begin her junior year.