Resident’s body is found in river

A Costa Mesa man’s body has been recovered after he was washed into extreme rapids in the Trinity River in Northern California weeks ago, Trinity County officials said Wednesday.

Toshimitu Tsuraha, 54, was sucked into Class 5 rapids, among the most dangerous classes, in the Trinity River on July 9 while fishing with a friend. Trinity County is east of Humboldt County in Northern California.

Children swimming in a watering hole four or five miles away found Tsuraha’s body floating down river July 21, said Trinity County Sheriff Lorrac Craig.

“From what I’ve been told, the kids are doing OK,” Craig said. “We’ve offered help if need be.”

Authorities said Tsuraha was fishing with a friend when he got a bite, and in the struggle to reel it in, Tsuraha was pulled into the river.

He continued to hold on to the pole, wrestling with the fish until he eventually vanished in the rapids, Craig said. He said in the days since Tsuraha’s disappearance, he’s learned that fishermen commonly get pulled into the water when they struggle to reel in a catch.

“It surprised me to know that it’s not an uncommon event,” he said. “In this case, it turned out to be tragic.”

Authorities are still working to contact Tsuraha’s only living kin, his mother in Japan, Craig said. In the meantime, the family of Tsuraha’s friend that was with him that day are handling the arrangements for his remains.

“They stepped up to the plate to make the right thing happen,” Craig said.

— Joseph Serna