South Tahoe woman dies in kayaking accident

Susan Marie Kaiser of South Lake Tahoe died Aug. 29 in a kayaking accident on the North Fork of the Feather River. She was 37.

Kaiser was the fire and fuels coordinator for Lake Valley Fire Protection District for the past two years. Prior to that she worked for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

Kaiser was on the water with friends when her foot apparently got stuck under a rock. By the time she was pulled to shore, life-saving efforts were unsuccessful.

Susan Marie Kaiser

Being on the water was a big part of Kaiser’s life. Last December she and 13 others spent 25 days rafting the Colorado River.

The fire department is having full honors for Kaiser on Sept. 4 at 9am at Tahoe Paradise Park. This is the first time Lake Valley has lost an active member of its staff. She was considered the face of fuels reduction and was well known in the fire community.

Kaiser was also on the board of the Sugar Pine Foundation.

“Susie had worked for years on fire and forestry related issues in the Tahoe basin. She had contact with thousands of homeowners over the years and was widely known and loved,” said John Pickett of the Sugar Pine Foundation. “This is a real tragedy and she will be missed by many.”