Body of Missing Hiker Recovered from North Fork American River

AUBURN — Dive teams from the Placer County Sheriff’s Office recovered the body of 40-year-old Eryn VanAcker from the North Fork of the American River on Monday, January 5. VanAcker had been missing since Friday, January 2, after setting out on a hike near Colfax.

VanAcker was last seen around 2:30 PM on January 2 while walking the Codfish Falls Trail with her dog. The dog was found alone shortly afterward, and searchers later located VanAcker’s vehicle, phone, and a dog bowl near the river, raising immediate concerns that she had entered the water. Authorities believe VanAcker was swept away upstream from Lake Clementine.

The search for VanAcker involved an extensive multi-agency operation that combined land, air, and water resources over several days. Ground teams, including search and rescue K9 units, systematically covered the shoreline and the Codfish Falls Trail.

Aerial efforts featured drones and aircraft for overhead surveillance, though heavy rain and poor visibility occasionally grounded these assets. On the river, raft teams patrolled both banks, while marine units deployed boats for upriver searches, sonar scans, dive operations, and remotely operated vehicles as conditions permitted.

Supporting agencies included the California Office of Emergency Services, CAL FIRE, El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, California State Parks, and Yuba County Sheriff’s Department. These coordinated efforts continued despite difficult weather throughout the weekend.

On Monday, dive teams from the Placer County Sheriff’s Office and the CAL FIRE NEU/PCFD Technical Rescue Team located and recovered the body. They used a NEU UAS drone, with Cal OES FIRIS providing aerial intelligence overhead.

In an official statement posted on social media, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said, “We are heartbroken to share that the body of a woman who has been missing since Friday, January 2, has been recovered from the North Fork of the American River. Dive teams from the Placer County Sheriff’s Office and the CAL FIRE NEU/PCFD Technical Rescue Team used the NEU UAS drone, with Cal OES FIRIS providing aerial intelligence overhead, to locate and recover her from the river earlier today.”

The statement added, “This outcome is not what anyone hoped for. Our deepest condolences are with Eryn’s family, friends, and loved ones.”