A person died Friday when a raft overturned within the Arkansas River close to Salida.
The incident occurred about 3 p.m. when three folks in a personal raft entered the Bear Creek Speedy, a Class III fast, and the raft flipped, based on a Colorado Parks and Wildlife information launch.
“All three folks have been thrown into the swiftly flowing, 60-degree water,” the discharge mentioned.
One individual safely made it to shore, and a second individual was rescued by an Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Space ranger who was patrolling the river.
The third passenger and the upside-down raft went lacking downriver, triggering a search that included rangers, Parks and Wildlife officers, the Salida Fireplace Division, Chaffee County Emergency Medical Providers, Chaffee County Sheriff’s Workplace, Fremont County Sheriff’s Workplace, Arkansas Valley Ambulance and Howard Fireplace Division.
“The upside-down raft finally was noticed about 2 miles downstream, simply above Wellsville,” the discharge mentioned. “It appeared the third sufferer had change into entangled with the raft and was unresponsive.”
The person, who was sporting a life jacket, finally separated from the raft and got here to relaxation on an island above the Wellsville Bridge, Parks and Wildlife mentioned.
Personal boaters retrieved the physique and introduced it to shore, the place emergency responders carried out CPR. The person was pronounced useless on the scene. The Chaffee County coroner will establish the person after household has been notified and can decide the trigger and method of demise.
Friday’s incident is the 14th confirmed water-related demise in Colorado in 2023, based on Parks and Wildlife, and the third within the Arkansas River in every week.