Sunday morning (Aug 17, 2014) just after 6:30 A.M. the Sheriff’s dispatch center received a call from a resident along the South Fork of the American River. She advised that a neighbor had been camping along the South Fork of the American River when the neighbor was contacted by a male adult walking along the river. The man advised the neighbor that he had been floating on the South Fork of the American River with a friend in an inflatable raft. Their raft sank somewhere up stream from where he was currently at, around 9:00 P.M. the night before. Both he and his friend ended up in the water and became seperated. The subject had not seen his friend since.

Deputies responded to the area and contacted the reporting parties. Deputies were advised that Raymond Nocon, 32 of Folsom, Ca was missing and had not been seen since the night before, when the raft he was floating in sank a short distance down river from a location known to rafters as Gorilla Rock.

Personnel from the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, El Dorado County Search and Rescue, El Dorado County Parks, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, California State Parks and the California Highway Patrol responded to the area and began searching for Mr. Nocon. As of this time (August 18, 1030 A.M.) Mr. Nocon has not been located.

Gorrilla Rock is approximately 13.9 miles down stream from Chili bar, and approximately 7.6 miles up stream from the Salmon Falls bridge. It is just upstream from the river area that is commonly referred to as the South Fork American River Gorge.

Personnel are currently still searching the area on foot, via patrol boats and with the use of CHP aircraft.

Aug 18, 2014 – 0800 hours

EDSO Patrol responded to a field southeast of Missouri Flat Road and US Highway 50 yesterday at about 4:30 pm where a citizen had found human remains. A full investigation was launched by responding deputies. Four EDSO Homicide detectives as well as Coroner’s detectives and a Crime Scene Investigations (CSI) Team responded to the scene. The investigation continued at that location until nearly 10:00pm. At this time the female’s identity has not been established, and a cause of death remains undetermined. An autopsy will be conducted on a priority basis. The investigation is ongoing.

Perry Nieland, aged 52 years, of San Jose ,California is deceased following the August 16, 2014 aircraft accident in Swansboro. His brother Richard Nieland, 55 years, also of San Jose, was injured in this incident as well. It is unknown who was piloting the aircraft at the time of the accident.