Deschutes County Sheriffs Department personnel search for two missing boaters on the Deschutes River, downstream of Dillon Falls, west of Bend. 07/21/25 (Dean Guernsey/The Bulletin)

Group was floating on tied-together inner tubes when swept into rapids

Two women who died after going over Dillon Falls on the Deschutes River Saturday afternoon were part of a group of six who were floating the river above the falls on inner tubes tied together, officials said Tuesday.

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office identified the two women whose bodies were recovered as Amanda Lloyd, 40, of Rockwall Texas and Lindsay Bashan, 33, of Parkland Florida.

Three survivors made it to shore by jumping from their tubes while the remainder of the group was swept into the main rapids, said Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office public information officer Jason Carr.

Recovery crews continued their search for a missing man from the group on Tuesday.

“We will exhaust all opportunities and resources at our disposal,” Carr said. “One of the unknown factors is where the (missing) body is currently and if it is stuck in the middle of the rapids under swift whitewater. That’s not an area recovery crews can get to and that’s one of the common things that often happens if people go down the falls.”

Dillon Falls is located about 10 miles upstream from Bend.

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office called in additional resources Tuesday, including a Life Flight aircraft and a fixed wing aircraft with specialized search cameras from the Portland Police Bureau. If the missing man is not found, search and rescue teams plan to deploy side-scanning sonar to assist with underwater searches on Wednesday.

While recovery efforts remain underway, the sheriff’s office asks that people avoid the area.

“This has been a difficult and emotional incident, and we can’t say enough about the professionalism and dedication of our Marine Patrol Unit, Search & Rescue Deputies, and SAR Volunteers,” said Carr in a statement. “They have led a coordinated and effective mission under very challenging conditions, and their work has already helped bring answers and closure to two grieving families. We are confident they will continue doing everything possible to locate the final missing individual.”

Carr said it is unclear why the group missed the many warning signs posted above Dillon Falls indicating dangerous terrain ahead. The falls themselves are 15 feet high and classified as expert-level Class 5 rapids. Below the falls, the river features long and violent rapids obstructed by debris that can be dangerous even to experienced whitewater paddlers.

“There’s a lot of resources out there that indicate that this is an expert level area to boat,” said Brian Paulsen, boating safety program manager with the Oregon State Marine Board. “Now there are sections that are calm and where you see people doing a lot of these pool-toy type floats, and it’s just important to know when you when you can put in and when you have to take out.”

In 2022, Maximillian Zelaya, 41, died while floating over Dillon Falls in an inner tube. In 2018, a popular blind athlete from Bend, Nancy Stevens, and her father lost control of their canoe in the waters above Dillon Falls and went over, resulting in her father’s death.

The flow in the Deschutes River — which is largely controlled by the dam operators at Wickiup Reservoir — is at a seasonal high due to increased demand for agricultural water in the summer months. The flow of water at Benham Falls, around 3.5 miles upstream from Dillon Falls, was 1,691 cubic feet per second on Saturday when the accident occurred. In winter, the flow in this section river drops to around 500 cubic feet per second.