A 24-year-old female river guide from Durango drowned while rafting the Upper Animas River on Saturday afternoon, San Juan County officials announced Tuesday.
Just after 1 p.m. Saturday, Silverton Medical Rescue responded to an emergency alert on the Animas River, near Tenmile Creek.
The incident involved two rafts carrying 11 individuals among them and a safety kayaker, Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson John Livingston said.
The group was exploring a stretch of the river from Silverton to Rockwood on a commercial trip with Mild to Wild Rafting & Jeep Tours, a local rafting company in Durango.
The group included three guides, seven customers, one safety kayaker and the victim, Livingston said. The victim, who has not been identified, was paddling the raft when she went overboard into the river.
San Juan County officials did not specify what caused the accident.
The woman was a raft guide for Mild to Wild Rafting & Jeep Tours but was only a passenger on the trip that day, Livingston said.
San Juan County Public Information Officer DeAnne Gallegos said a group of kayakers unaffiliated with the rafts encountered the group after she had fallen into the water.
The kayakers and the other passengers on the rafts attempted to save and resuscitate the victim before the rescue team arrived.
According to a news release from the San Juan County Sheriff, due to the remote location’s limited access, two rescuers, a paramedic and an EMT, entered the river via the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad with additional rescuers staged in Silverton as backup, the release stated.
The rescue team and other rafters involved with the incident moved the 24-year-old onto the train and transported the body to Rockwood Train station, the release stated.
Keri Metzler, San Juan County Coroner, said an autopsy is currently in progress, in partnership with the La Plata County Coroner’s Office. The coroner’s office will identify the woman and determine the manner of death.
Metzler said the manner of death is not suspicious and there is no ongoing investigation into the accident.
The Upper Animas River reach is a very challenging section of whitewater and recreational groups should be prepared for difficult situations with the higher water flows this season, Gallegos stated in Tuesday’s release.
“The group of boaters were experienced and knew that section of river well. They were well prepared with the appropriate rescue equipment and knowledge of how to use it,” EMT Cameron Crowell stated in the release. “Still, this accident led to an unfortunate outcome. The river is running at a high flow right now and this is a stark reminder of just how dangerous the river can be, regardless of training and preparedness.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 4:12 p.m. Wednesday, June 14, 2023, to correct the number of rafts and the number of people in the rafting group and that the rafting guide who died was not leading the group that day but was a passenger.
Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter.
