LIHUE » The drowning of an ABC News doctor has family members raising money for a lifeguard tower.

The Garden Island reports Jamie Zimmerman died earlier this month while trying to cross the Lumahai River where it meets the ocean. Her family wants to put a lifeguard tower on a nearby beach.

An IndieGoGo page is raising money for a tower that county officials say could cost as much as $400,000 to build and operate for a year. Annual salaries and benefits for the five lifeguards needed would total about $300,000.

Kauai County spokeswoman Sarah Blane said in an email that the county is communicating with the family on best uses for the funds raised in their effort.

There have been two drownings in 10 years in the area.