Authorities believe they may have found the remains of Rebecca Cole Heinowitz, a 50-year-old Bard College literature professor last seen on May 24 struggling in the Yuba River near the South Yuba Bridge. Identification may take weeks due to the condition of the body.
Heinowitz disappeared during a period of hazardous river conditions caused by Sierra Nevada snowmelt, which made the Yuba River fast-moving and dangerously cold. Search efforts included drones, K9 cadaver dogs, off-road vehicles, and volunteers.
Human remains were discovered on Tuesday, July 8 along a rocky shoreline of the Yuba River by a Nevada County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue drone operator. The site, located about 1.5 miles downstream from Jones Bar near Nevada City, was difficult to access on foot, prompting a helicopter-assisted recovery involving a sheriff’s deputy and a rescue technician. The remains were retrieved and airlifted around 1:45pm.
Before joining Bard in 2004, Heinowitz taught at Dartmouth, Brandeis, and Brown. She became a full professor in 2021. Bard College President Leon Botstein described her as a deeply passionate and memorable educator.
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