Eight people survived after their raft flipped on the Crystal River near the Penny Hot Springs on Sunday afternoon, according to the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office.
Chief Deputy of Operations Parker Lathrop said the sheriff’s office received the distress call around 2 p.m., alerting them that a raft had overturned, and several individuals were unaccounted for.
At least 50 personnel from Carbondale Fire, Aspen Fire, Roaring Fork Fire Rescue, the sheriff’s office, and Pitkin County Open Space and Trails assisted on scene. They set a large perimeter on the river to help contain the party in the swift waters.
The rafters, however, managed to self-rescue and swim ashore with only minor injuries, Lathrop said.
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