On Friday, April 27, two men preparing for an afternoon of kayaking saw an “unconscious woman” floating face-down in the Feather River at Rich Bar.

“We weren’t sure if the person was alive,” said Quincy resident Kurt Sable. “Conner (Herdt) yelled at the person and was prepared to throw a rope.”

But there was no response. Sable said the body appeared to be lifeless.

He was right.

The body of Anne Edgar-Soto Zada, 66, of Tucson, Ariz., was recovered later that day by a search and rescue team from the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office.

A California Highway Patrol helicopter, as well as the kayakers themselves, assisted in the recovery.

Zada’s body was recovered about one-quarter mile downriver from where Sable and Herdt saw it floating.

“We are awaiting an autopsy. But it doesn’t look like anything suspicious,” Sheriff’s Detective Steve Peay said.

According to the CHP, Zada was the victim of a single-car accident.

Her 2010 Toyota was found upside down in the river about one-half mile from where she was seen floating.

With aid from its helicopter, the CHP was able to find evidence of where Zada’s car went into the river.

The CHP said the car was traveling east on Highway 70, approximately one-half mile east of the Rich Bar Monument, when it left the highway.

The Toyota continued through some bushes before careening down a steep embankment to the river.

According to the CHP, the car floated more than 300 feet before sinking.

Sable said he and Herdt had just pulled in to drop off a car at the takeout for their kayaking trip when they spotted the body at about 4:30 p.m.

After determining the body appeared lifeless, they tried to call 911. Sable said the cellphone reception was bad, so they drove back toward Caribou to make the call.

By the time they returned to the scene, the Forest Service had arrived, followed shortly by the CHP and sheriff.

Using binoculars, they spotted the victim’s body “hung up in some brush on the left side of the river” about one-quarter mile downstream.

Sable, Herdt and Morgan Koons used their kayaks to help retrieve Zada’s body.

Zada was identified later that evening after family members notified the sheriff’s office that she was overdue.

The family was told about the circumstances. They identified Zada by photos.