n May 2017, a boating trip on the Yukon River turned tragic when the vessel carrying Ai Adams, her husband Clifford "Tuffy" Adams, and Kim Andon capsized six miles downriver from Beaver, Alaska. Andon, the only passenger wearing a life jacket, survived by swimming to shore, but was stranded without shoes for three days before being rescued and taken to the hospital. Unfortunately, the Adamses were not as fortunate.

Clifford's body was discovered almost a month after the incident between Beaver and Stevens Village, but there was no sign of Ai despite an extensive search. Andon reported that she could not locate the couple and that they were "unresponsive" when last seen in the water.

Ai was originally from Tokyo, Japan and developed a fascination with Alaska after reading about it as a child. She eventually traveled to the Beaver area with a tour group and married Clifford, who was a local resident. The couple enjoyed hunting and fishing together and even ran a fur-trapping line. Additionally, Ai operated Japanese-language tours for tourists and had a photography business. Regrettably, she is presumed to have drowned in the accident.