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Remains Of Concessions Worker Missing In Yellowstone Since 2015 Identified

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Published Date

August 1, 2019

Remains of a 21-year-old concessions worker who was swept down the Yellowstone River in July 2015 have been identified and returned to his family, Yellowstone National Park staff said Thursday.

Feiyang “Isaac” Xiang, of China, was backpacking with four friends when he disappeared while swimming near the river's confluence with Hellroaring Creek. After nine days of searching, the effort was scaled back.

"Xiang was in the water with two of his companions around 11:45 a.m. when he was pulled away from the shore by the current of the swiftly flowing river. Xiang was struggling to stay afloat as efforts to pull him back to shore were unsuccessful," park staff said at the time. "He was swept downriver into a long stretch of rapids before he disappeared from view."

In February 2018, staff discovered human bones in the vicinity of the 2015 drowning site. Law enforcement officers collected the remains and sent them to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification for DNA testing. In June 2019, the park received confirmation that the remains were of Xiang. 

Yellowstone National Park law enforcement officers had stayed in touch with Xiang’s family since the incident. When the remains were positively identified, staff notified the family. In July 2019, Xiang’s family returned to the park and collected his remains. They have since returned to China.   

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Comments

Submitted by Tim Bear on August 6, 2019 - 5:11pm.

This happens (too frequently) in parks and public lands through which large and/or swift rivers flow - Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Snake & Green Rivers in Canyonlands, and - clearly - this river in Yellowstone. "I'll just wade out in this eddy," and whoops, the current grabs you and you're downstream before you know it. Awareness and caution is key; if cooling off after a hike is needed, find a feeder creek and go wading.


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