A paraglider injured this morning in a crash near Aspen had to be rafted across the raging Roaring Fork River during his rescue.
Thomas Brinkmeyer, 52, crashed into rocks and bushes in the North Star Nature Preserve after his chute collapsed, and he fell about 50 feet, according to the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office.
Rescuers — including members of the sheriff’s office, Mountain Rescue Aspen, Aspen Emergency Medical Services, Aspen Police Department and Pitkin County Open Space — were cut off from direct access to Brinkmeyer by the surging river.
Paramedics crossed the river in a canoe, then loaded Brinkmeyer into a raft and brought him across the river to a waiting ambulance.
Another paraglider crashed nearby this morning but landed in a pond and was not injured, the sheriff’s office said in a press release.
Brinkmeyer was taken to Aspen Valley Hospital, where he was treated for back pain, the sheriff’s office said.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com
