A former Bonners Ferry resident was one of three people who died Friday in a drowning incident in Tulare County, California. A fourth person was seriously injured. According to his family, David Bell died trying to rescue two others.
The incident occurred near Johnsondale, California, at about 5:20 p.m. August 23, in the Seven Teacups, a popular hiking, climbing and canyoneering area on Dry Meadow Creek in the Sequoia National Forest.
According to a Facebook post by his sister, Cyndi Miller, David was rappelling in the area with friends, and on their last rappel, one of their party rappelled into a small pool and got caught in a whirlpool. Another member jumped in to save her and he too was caught and David went in.
Others were able to pull the three out within about seven minutes, during which the fourth person was injured. CPR was initiated to no avail. The three were pronounced dead by medical personnel arriving on scene and the fourth transported to an area hospital.
David and his family lived in Bonners Ferry in the early 2000s, where his father, Dr. Carl Bell, was a physician at Boundary Community Hospital. Carl passed away of cancer several years ago.