Oregon authorities identify 2 killed in waterfall accident, still searching for 1 missing

BEND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon authorities on Tuesday identified two people who died in a fatal waterfall accident as search operations continued for the one person who remains missing.

The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office said the victims include Amanda Lloyd, 40, of Rockwall, Texas; and Lindsay Bashan, 33, of Parkland, Florida.

The accident happened Saturday afternoon when a group was swept over Dillon Falls on the Deschutes River, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the city of Bend. Authorities describe it as a dangerous section of the river, featuring 15-foot (5-meter) falls and whitewater rapids obstructed by rocks, logs and other debris.

The six people were floating on inner tubes tied together, the sheriff's office said. The three people who survived jumped from their inner tubes and made it to shore, while the other three were swept into the rapids.

One person died at the scene while a second body was found Monday.

Teams were searching for the one person still missing on Tuesday, authorities said. A diver was surveying the area from a plane, while a separate aircraft assisted with specialized search cameras. Search dogs were also at the scene.

The sheriff’s office praised those involved in search operations during the “difficult and emotional incident.”

“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," spokesperson Jason Carr said in a statement.

Carr has previously said that the missing were presumed dead due to the unlikelihood of surviving the falls.

People recreating on that area of the river normally exit at the Dillon Falls day use area, as the waterfall is just around the bend, Carr said. Signs along the river warn of the hazardous waterfall ahead.

The three people rescued had minor wounds such as scrapes and bruises and were able to exit the rescue boat on their own and walk. They were transported to a local hospital to ensure they had no other injuries, Carr said.

The names of the three survivors are being withheld to respect their privacy, the sheriff's office said.

The Deschutes River, which runs through Bend, is popular during the summer for various water activities, including rafting, inner tube floating, kayaking and paddleboarding.

This photo provided by the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office shows search and rescue teams on the Deschutes River about 10 miles from Bend, Ore., after a fatal waterfall accident Saturday, July 19, 2025. (Deschutes County Sheriff's Office via AP)

This photo provided by the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office shows search and rescue teams and a sign indicating a hazardous waterfall ahead along the Deschutes River about 10 miles from Bend, Ore., after a fatal waterfall accident Saturday, July 19, 2025. (Deschutes County Sheriff's Office via AP)

In this photo provided by the Deschutes, Ore., County Sheriff's Office, search teams search for the missing following a fatal waterfall accident on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at Dillon Falls, on the Deschutes River near Bend, Ore. (Deschutes County Sheriff's Office via AP)

In this photo provided by the Deschutes, Ore., County Sheriff's Office, divers search for those missing following a fatal waterfall accident on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at Dillon Falls, on the Deschutes River near Bend, Ore. (Deschutes County Sheriff's Office via AP)

In this photo provided by the Deschutes, Ore., County Sheriff's Office, divers search for those missing following a fatal waterfall accident on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at Dillon Falls, near Bend, Ore. (Deschutes County Sheriff's Office via AP)

This photo provided by the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office shows search and rescue teams on the Deschutes River about 10 miles from Bend, Ore., after a fatal waterfall accident Saturday, July 19, 2025. (Deschutes County Sheriff's Office via AP)

This photo provided by the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office shows search and rescue teams and a sign indicating a hazardous waterfall ahead along the Deschutes River about 10 miles from Bend, Ore., after a fatal waterfall accident Saturday, July 19, 2025. (Deschutes County Sheriff's Office via AP)

HONG KONG (AP) — Fireworks are typically a celebratory centerpiece of Hong Kong's New Year celebrations. Not this year.

The territory will ring in 2026 without spectacular and colorful explosions in the sky over its iconic Victoria Harbor after a massive fire in November that killed at least 161 people.

The city’s tourism board will instead host a music show Wednesday night featuring soft rock duo Air Supply and other singers in Central, a business district that also is home to the famous nightlife hub Lan Kwai Fong. The facades of eight landmarks will turn into giant countdown clocks presenting a three-minute light show at midnight.

Fireworks have long been part of the city’s celebrations for the New Year, Lunar New Year and National Day. The pyrotechnic displays against Hong Kong’s world-famous skyline of skyscrapers typically draw hundreds of thousands of people including many tourists to both sides of the promenade.

Rosanna Law, the territory's secretary for culture, sports and tourism, acknowledged Tuesday that having no fireworks would affect some hotel and restaurant businesses.

The financial hub’s worst blaze since 1948 broke out at Wang Fuk Court, in the northern suburban district of Tai Po, in late November. The apartment complex was undergoing a monthslong renovation project with buildings covered by bamboo scaffolding and green netting.

Authorities have pointed to the substandard netting and foam boards installed on windows as contributing factors in the fire’s rapid spread. Thousands of affected residents have moved to transitional homes, hotels and youth hostels, struggling to recover from the loss of lives and homes that took them years to buy. The casualties pained many residents across the city.

Past tragedies in Hong Kong have forced similar cancellations of fireworks. They include the 2013 National Day festivities following a vessel collision that killed 39 people on Oct. 1, 2012, and the 2018 Lunar New Year celebration after a bus crash that left 19 dead. During the 2019 anti-government protests and the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple displays also were scrapped.

The origin of fireworks is believed to date to China in the second century B.C., when someone discovered bamboo stalks exploded with loud bangs when thrown into fire, creating the first natural “firecrackers,” according to the American Pyrotechnics Association, a U.S. trade group.

The Guinness World Records organization says the first accurately documented firework, the Chinese firecracker, was created by Li Tian, a monk from China’s Tang dynasty dating to around 618 to 907 C.E. Li discovered that putting gunpowder in enclosed hollow bamboo stems created loud explosions and bound crackers together to create the traditional New Year firecrackers to drive out evil spirits, Guinness said.

People gather at Lan Kwai Fong to celebrate the start of 2026 in the Central district of Hong Kong, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

People attend the New Year countdown event to celebrate the start of 2026 in the Central district of Hong Kong, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

People take selfies at Lan Kwai Fong to celebrate the start of 2026 in the Central district of Hong Kong, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

People pose for photographs at Lan Kwai Fong to celebrate the start of 2026 in the Central district of Hong Kong, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

FILE - Fireworks explode over Victoria Harbour to celebrate the start of 2025 at Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong, Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei, File)