They had not found the man by 8 p.m., and their efforts had switched from rescue to recovery.

“We’ll keep searching as long as we can, but we do switch from rescue operation to recovery operation,”  said Berthoud Fire Division Chief Andrew Kuiken, adding that the first hour of a rescue is the most critical.

A person recreating at the lake called for help after seeing “a man in the water who appeared to be in distress,” according to a release from the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. The man was near a kayak and not wearing a personal flotation device.

An off-duty Loveland Fire Rescue Authority firefighter, who was in the area, began searching for the man and was soon joined by Larimer County rangers, the Berthoud Fire Protection District, Loveland Fire Rescue Authority and Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. The team located the kayak but not the man, according to the release.

Storms from earlier in the day had mostly cleared when crews were on scene. Kuiken was not able to say what caused the incident or if it was weather-related.

Firefighters and sheriff’s deputies spoke to witnesses around the area who saw the man in the water, he added.

The 911 call came in at 5:09 p.m., and the first crew, Larimer County rangers, arrived at the south end of the lake within 12 minutes, according to Larimer County Public Information Officer Kate Kimble.

Berthoud fire took the lead in the initial rescue response. The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office took over the recovery around 7 p.m., Kuiken said, but added that crews from each department would continue to assist.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Marine recovery team was joining the effort Thursday night with the search continuing as resources and conditions allowed.

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said the identity of the paddleboarder and cause of death would be released at a later time.

The paddleboarder went missing in the water near Satanka Cove and Poudre Fire Authority responded to the scene just before 4:15 p.m. Sunday, according to a .

The rescue turned into a recovery Sunday evening, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office press release on stated. Drones, boats and sonar were used to search the area around Satanka Cove, the press release stated, adding that the paddleboarder was not wearing a personal floatation device.

Larimer County Parks, Poudre Fire Authority, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Larimer County Dive Rescue Team responded to the scene Sunday, the press release also stated.

River surfing is just that: riding a surfboard on a wave in a river. One big difference between ocean surfing and river surfing is that on the river, the surfer rides up and down the same (usually manmade) wave, unlike in the ocean where new sets are constantly rolling in and taking the surfer closer to the beach.

“Many people who have participated in board sports take to it naturally, but those who have no experience at all have a lot of fun learning,” said Brian DeFouw, general manager of Confluence Kayak & Ski in Denver. “Once you have the correct gear and safety equipment, you can pretty much just jump into learning. There are almost always other river surfers in the designated parks who you can watch, and the community is very friendly and willing to give advice and instruction.”

While river surfers don’t have to paddle out to catch a wave like ocean surfers do, they do have to learn how to stand on the board as it moves unpredictably on top of the water, and then get safely back out of the river on the banks.

“Unlike ocean surfing, you don’t need to fight the current to get to the break. Once you are there, you take turns so there is no competition for the wave,” said DeFouw. “River waves change with the amount of water in the river, but are very consistent and never-ending, so there is enough wave for everyone.”

For river surfing, you’ll want a helmet and a wetsuit (even if you see some very experienced and hardy river surfers who might forgo this equipment). A PFD (personal flotation device) is also necessary when practicing. A release leash should also come with a surfboard.

“The cost to enter the sport is relatively low compared to the cost of entering other sports like biking or kayaking,” DeFouw said. “The gear requirements are low and the learning curve is fairly rapid.”

Since there is a difference between ocean and river surfboards, it¶¶Ňőap not recommended that you try a paddleboard or ocean surfboard on the river. Instead, you’ll need a thicker board designed to handle banging into river rocks.

Beginner river surfers should aim for a spot with rentals and possibly a lesson before jumping into the first whitewater park they can find. Here are several places in Colorado to try this summer (free other than the rental and lesson costs), and you may not need to leave the city to go river surfing:

• Buena Vista River Park is on the Arkansas River and below the aptly-named Surf Hotel. The Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center has half-day and deluxe surf lessons that include all of the equipment needed. CKS River Supply in Buena Vista rents the whole package of board, wetsuit, PFD and helmet, but they don’t have lessons. Plan to come over Memorial Day weekend in May one year during CKS Paddlefest, when you can see experts compete in kayaking and river surfing.
• Salida Whitewater Park on the Arkansas River, several miles downstream from Buena Vista, is home to what many consider the state’s best river waves. There are four engineered whitewater features for kayakers, paddle boarders, surfers and even body boards. River surfers compete here during the annual FIBArk Festival each June. The Badfish Surf Shop in Salida, about a block from the Scout Wave, is known for its river surf boards and you can demo one here (bring your own wetsuit and helmet) and talk to experts. Totally Tubular also has river surfboards (and the helmets and wetsuits) to rent.
• Montrose Water Sports Park makes use of the Uncompahgre River that flows alongside River Bottom Park and is considered one of the largest of its type in the state. There are six drop points that give river surfers a variety of waves to try out. Montrose Surf + Cycle offers a river surf rental package or a river surf one-on-one lesson that includes all the gear.

• 

  In Denver, you can rent the gear from Confluence Kayaks (this includes the board, helmet, PFD, and leash) and it will provide in-store instruction, but not on the water. The staff doesn’t recommend the waves in nearby Confluence Park, but instead suggests River Run Park, which is upstream on the South Platte River near the Broken Tee Golf Course. There are four wave options, and beginners can start at “Chiclets.”

• Glenwood Springs Whitewater Activity Area on the Colorado River offers a manmade “G-wave” or standing wave that will change with the latest flow, giving recreationists a variety of wave experiences. This area is also popular with kayakers, stand-up paddle boarders and other boaters, and there are often spectators gathered on the rocks to watch the action on the water. Glenwoodrec.com has a live webcam on the wave, too. Adventure Outdoors has river surfboards for rent here. After a day on the wave, surfers can soak at either Iron Mountain Hot Springs where pools overlook the Colorado River or the Glenwood Hot Springs Resort pool.
• Poudre River Whitewater Park is in Fort Collins and provides a place to play for tubers, kayakers, stand-up paddle boarding and river surfing, depending on the current flow. On the Edge Tuning has river surfboards, helmets, and PFDs for rent, but you’ll need to bring your wetsuit.
• Downtown Pueblo is home to the Pueblo Whitewater Park on the Arkansas River, which has more than one feature to surf, depending on the current river flow. The Edge Ski Paddle and Pack has surfboards and other gear for rental here, but not lessons.

For more information on all of these locations, go to endlesswaves.net, where you can find detailed descriptions of the waves and links to live camera feeds on the wave parks.

Other resources:

• The Facebook group Colorado River Surfers is open to the public to join, and is updated regularly with river surfing tips.
• Colorado Surf Supply offers a Colorado Surf Map with more than two dozen surf spots on its website, as well as locally made surfboards for sale.

“Although it is challenging and thrilling to surf a standing wave, there is a low risk factor compared to other sports,” DeFouw said. “The addition of manmade standing waves has increased the opportunity for people to get in the water without traveling long distances, and since you start and stop in the same place, you don’t need a shuttle like other river activities. Plus, it’s a great way to beat the summer heat!”

Nonstop flights to surprising surf locales

Maybe you’ve perfected your surf stance on the river and are ready for the ocean? Although Hawaii and California are the predictable places to go to from Denver for a surf trip, there are a few other surprising locales that also have nonstop flights and options for surfing.

Costa Rica: Denver businessman Rich Naha is the co-founder of Surf Synergy, an all-inclusive surf camp in Jaco (fly direct to San Jose on United or Southwest Airlines, then it¶¶Ňőap about a 90-minute drive from the airport). Guests receive one-on-one surf instruction in the water throughout the week, along with yoga and breathwork classes at the resort. They’ve partnered with Vail Health to host “longevity and wellness” retreats. This will be warm-water surfing in a bathing suit and light rash guard.

Ireland: Yes, it¶¶Ňőap an island! There are direct flights on Aer Lingus from Denver to Dublin, and from there you’ll need transportation to one of many surf spots, which can be selected based on your experience. Beginners might like Long Line Surf School in the gentle waves at Benone Beach in Northern Ireland, whereas surfers ready for the big waves can go to County Sligo in the Republic of Ireland, where bigger waves are found, along with inclusive retreats. Either way, you’ll be wearing a wetsuit!

Wisconsin: Direct flights on Southwest or United will get travelers to Milwaukee, then it¶¶Ňőap about a one-hour drive to Sheboygan to try freshwater surfing on Lake Michigan. Sheboygan calls itself the “freshwater surfing capital of the world.” EOS Surf & Outdoor has rentals and equipment for surfers, which includes wetsuits for the chilly water. Winter is considered a better time for this sport here as the waves are bigger during this season.

The man was with two others on the Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir when a storm rolled in at 1 p.m. Friday and blew the group into the water, in a news release.

The park is near the community of Lake George off of U.S. 24, about 40 miles west of Colorado Springs.

One person was wearing a life jacket and was able to swim to shore, and rangers rescued a second paddleboarder who was wearing a life jacket and tethered to a board.

The man’s body was recovered by late Friday after an 11-hour search, state officials said. He was not wearing a life jacket.

“CPW strongly encourages recreationists to wear a life jacket while boating, kayaking, paddleboarding and swimming in Colorado,” state officials said in a news release.

“Weather conditions can change quickly at the park with sudden, strong wind gusts, and visitors are encouraged to check weather forecasts before heading outdoors.”

The Park County coroner’s office will release the man’s name.

With the heat comes a burst of desire to head to a river, creek or lake to seek relief. But waterways across the state — flush with recently melted snowpack — are often still a bone-chilling 45 degrees or so.

Fall in, jump in or get tossed in, and things can turn deadly serious in a flash, said Todd Miner, a retired senior instructor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

“You get in that cold water, and it’s really tough to stay in control,” he said. “People don’t recognize how debilitating that can be.”

Add to the cold a formidable current, and chances for serious accidents — even fatal ones — only multiply. Stand up in the creek, and expect to get your foot wedged and pinned in between rocks on the creek bed, said Capt. Harold Osborn with .

“A lot of times, (people) don’t understand the flow dynamics of the river,” he said.

Osborn was one of 15 members of the practicing water rescues on a roaring Clear Creek last week west of Golden. The 150-member organization, now in its 30th year and made up of emergency officials from nine local fire departments, performs specialized rescues in Denver’s northern suburbs, including rope rescues, confined space rescues, trench rescues and collapse rescues.

On Wednesday, the focus was water rescue training in Clear Creek Canyon. A rescuer was tethered to the shore or was free swimming across a raging current, then grabbing hold of a free-floating “victim” and pulling them back to land. Lt. Jacob Charney, with North Metro Fire Rescue, was in charge.

“Because the water’s so high, we do the training in the spring,” he said, wearing a dry suit and helmet as a bloated Clear Creek rushed past. “It’s the most difficult conditions because of the velocity of the water.”

Less than two weeks ago, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office closed the creek through downtown Golden to belly boats, inner tubes and single-chambered rafts — as well as body surfing and swimming — until water levels subside. People on kayaks, river boards, whitewater canoes and multi-chambered, professionally guided rafts can still ride the creek.

The closure comes after three years of particularly deadly water activity in Colorado. More than 30 people died on the state’s waterways and water bodies last year. There were 32 deaths in 2023 and a record 42 fatalities in 2022, according to an unofficial tally kept by .

This year, so far, has been a departure from that deadly record. As of Friday, the state had seen eight deaths recorded in 2025, according to news releases from CPW.

In comparison, by the first few days of June last year, there had already been a dozen deaths on Colorado waters.

“We are not on the same pace as last year, and that is fantastic news,” CPW spokeswoman Kara Van Hoose said.

She credits the drop in water deaths to a cooler and wetter May, with Memorial Day weekend almost a total washout.

“When it rains, people are less likely to be out on the water,” Van Hoose said.

This year’s deaths in Colorado waters have largely been on lakes, rather than rivers. The incidents began in late February with the discovery of the body of a 65-year-old fisherman who had fallen through the ice at Cherry Creek Reservoir. In mid-April, the body of a man who fell from a canoe was .

Last month, a fisherman using a bellyboat — a small, inflatable tube — got caught in strong wind gusts at Steamboat Lake State Park and drowned, authorities said. He was not wearing a life jacket. In the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, a popular rafting and kayaking spot near Buena Vista, a .

Another four deaths have occurred at Lake Pueblo State Park, including . In most of the Lake Pueblo deaths, the victim did not wear a life jacket.

“Any water can be deadly if you’re not wearing a life jacket,” Van Hoose said.

Employees at Golden River Sports hand out life jackets and helmets to all customers who rent their tubes. But Jon Baskin, who has worked seasonally at the tube and kayak rental store in downtown Golden for five years and was a raft guide for a decade, sees many on Clear Creek not wearing protective gear.

“I see people without PFDs,” he said, referring to personal flotation devices. “Clear Creek on a weekend day is like a carnival — there are hundreds and hundreds of tubes. But it’s still a wild river, it’s not like the lazy river at Elitch’s.”

Golden has taken measures in recent years to control, and even restrict, the crowds that mob the waterway near downtown Vanover Park on warm, sunny days. The city places daily limits on the number of tubes the two concessionaires in town can rent to the public. It also embeds radio frequency identification tags in tubes to track their usage.

Last year, Golden discussed the introduction of a reservation system, like the timed-entry system used at Rocky Mountain National Park. It has not yet put in place such a system to control access to the creek.

Whether 2025’s less-deadly trend on Colorado’s waters continues into July and beyond, CPW’s Van Hoose said, will ultimately come down to individual behavior and precautions taken.

“We hope we continue to see good numbers — but it’s up to the people,” she said.

Here are eight of the most famous and not-to-be-missed stretches of whitewater that Colorado has to offer.

Yampa and Green River

Inside Dinosaur National Monument are two riverways — the Yampa and the Green — that wind through an area of archeological phenomena, fossils, and indigenous rock petroglyphs.

“For multi-day river trips, the Gates of Ladore [section] on the Green River and the Yampa River are both outstanding, in Dinosaur National Monument, and have cultural history. The two different trips finish at the same place,” says Sean Sorrin, a Colorado-based professional river guide who’s been guiding for 29 seasons. He’s worked on 100 rivers worldwide from Colorado to Ethiopia, guided for OARS for 13 years, and guides part-time on the Arkansas River for River Runners.

“The scenery for both trips is outstanding, and the geology is opposite despite both being in Dinosaur National Monument and so close together,” said Sorrin. “The Yampa trip is through younger canyon walls, of weaver sandstone, that¶¶Ňőap lighter in color. The Gates of Ladore canyon walls are older, dark red rocks that contrast with the ponderosa pines,” he explained. For both sections, river runners see the Mitten Park Fault, a fault line where the rocks shoot vertically versus horizontally.

Rafting along the Green River through the Gates of Lodore Canyon takes explorers along a segment of the original exploration route followed in 1869 by pioneer and geologist John Wesley Powell.

“When I guided the Gates of Ladore, I read from Powell’s journal nightly for guests. His descriptions and writings were detailed and poetic from his first voyage through The Great Unknown,’ a blank area in the United States map, that Powell was mapping,” said Sorrin.

Paddlers can soak up the stars among unique geological formations and sandy stretches. Since 2019, the monument has been among the Centennial State’s International Dark Sky-designated destinations.

The Yampa is also the last free-flowing major tributary of the Colorado River. “It¶¶Ňőap not dam-controlled, so the flows are what Mother Nature gives, which is typically a shorter season: May, June, and sometimes July,” said Sorrin.

Royal Gorge

The Royal Gorge is one of the Centennial State’s most popular attractions and is home to one of the world’s highest suspension bridges, which stretches across the gorge. The bridge — 1,270 feet across and 956 feet above the water — was constructed in 1929.

The plummeting canyon walls wind for 10 miles, creating a channel in the earth that was formed over millions of years. Outside of Canyon City and near Colorado Springs and Pueblo, the Gorge feels like the middle of nowhere, yet is easily accessible.

One of the most famous ways to experience the canyon and bridge is to ride the rapids below: an adventurous rodeo across class III-IV rapids.

Bighorn Sheep Canyon

To extend your whitewater season, head to the Arkansas River Valley, where flows can continue into mid-August.

Running the Bighorn offers a family-friendly and mellow day on the whitewater through a gorgeous high-desert landscape.

The Rocky Mountain landscape, a section of the Arkansas River, is home to Bighorn Sheep. These sheep have curled horns that can weigh up to 30 pounds alone.

Eastbound between Salida and Canyon City, the river’s rapids range from Bear Creek to Spider, Badger Creek (all class II-III), and The Flume (class III-IV).

Browns Canyon

Dynamic granite walls stretch above the Arkansas River like a castle’s watchtowers: Both paddlers and anglers alike gawk skyward in appreciation of the geological glory of Browns Canyon.

President Obama designated Browns Canyon National Monument in February 2015. The Arkansas River valley has 21,586 acres of pristine canyons, rivers, and forest.

The stars and dark sky are pristine. “Browns Canyon is one of the newest International Dark Sky Park designated places, and you can do an overnight trip on that section through the canyon,” said Sorrin. In December 2024, Browns Canyon National Monument became the Centennial State’s 18th certified International Dark Sky Place and 12th International Dark Sky Park.

The iconic rapids along this lifeline include Zoom Flume, Big Drop and Toilet Bowl, and range from class II-III.

The Monument encompasses nearly 12,000 acres of the San Isabel National Forest and 10,000 acres of BLM land. From Buena Vista to Salida, the canyon elevation ranges from 7,300 to 10,000 feet and features views of the snow-capped Sawatch Range.

The Numbers

Yee-haw! It¶¶Ňőap time for an adventure: Class IV-V rapids await these paddlers. The Numbers is named for its consecutive game of rapids in rapid-fire, one right after the other.

Also along the Arkansas River, rafters can’t go wrong with the stunning views — when they earn a break to look up at the paradise.

Animas River

In Colorado’s Southwest, the Animas is famous for its technical Class IV and V rapids, some of the country’s most challenging commercially rafted segments.

If you’ve never been to Durango, the mining town’s history and charm are stunning, as is the river that snakes through it.

Cache la Poudre River

Beyond its challenging rapids, the Cache la Poudre River is Colorado’s first and sole federally designated National Wild and Scenic River. It is an incredible piece of history meant to stand the test of time.

“If you’re visiting northern Colorado, the Poudre is phenomenal, and it¶¶Ňőap so close to Rocky Mountain National Park,” said Sorrin.

When is Colorado’s whitewater rafting season?

Colorado’s rivers are fed by snowmelt, which moves down slope from the snow that accumulates throughout winter at the top of our high-altitude Rocky Mountains. As the spring season delivers gradually warmer temperatures and sunshine, the snow runoff increasingly funnels down and feeds into the whitewater flow.

Generally, the window to run whitewater rafting trips in Colorado is from May to September, from spring to summer and fall. Occasionally, trips can run as early as April. Once September hits, the first sprinkle (or storm) of snow usually arrives.

However, several factors play into the conditions on a river trip. The snow season, weather, water flow and visitation are all pieces of the pie.

The consistency of warm days affects how quickly the river flow increases. If the air temperatures oscillate, then the flow will rollercoaster to reflect it. Alternatively, if there is a huge sunny spell (coupled with no additional rain), then the water levels will initially be consistently high with the snowmelt and then begin to drop.

Water measurement

Water level measurement is based on CFS units, or cubic feet per second. The Arkansas River, for example, runs at an average of 2000 CFS, but can be run at a minimum of 200 CFS and a maximum of 7000 CFS.

Due to the shape of a canyon, the water can be channeled, and a river can still be runnable at a lower CFS.

Water temperatures

Water temperatures can range from 30 degrees and above during the early rafting season to about 55 degrees in late rafting season.

Fortunately, the wetsuits, personal flotation devices, and booties help hold body heat and keep paddlers warm.

Rafting class system, explained

Most kid-friendly white water rafting trips fall within Class I-II. Here’s a general guideline of the classification of rapids, according to author :

• Class I: Easy, slower water with light riffles.
• Class II: Moderate, medium-quick water with regular waves and space to move through obstacles like rocks.
• Class III: Moderately difficult, quicker sections of water with higher waves. The space between obstacles is narrower and difficult to maneuver.
• Class IV: Difficult, quick flow with powerful rapids and standing waves with advanced paddling required. Sections of rapids need scouting before you run them.
• Class V: Extremely difficult with long, severe rapids with steep drops.
• Class VI: Extraordinarily difficult with constant danger—thus, requires the highest level of expert paddling experience and every safety precaution must be implemented.

That’s especially true for the northern parts of the state, according to the Colorado Water Supply Outlook from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which reported in April that snowpack was “starkly different” across the state, with normal conditions in the north but below normal conditions in the south. An updated report will be released next week.

Statewide, the snowpack was at 83% on April 1. The South Platte Basin, which includes Clear Creek west of Denver and the Cache La Poudre River west of Fort Collins — both popular rafting destinations — was at 98% of normal. The Colorado River Headwaters basin was at 96%. The Yampa-White-Little Snake basin in the northwestern corner of the state was at 93%.

“I think we’ll do fine, water-wise,” said David Costlow, executive director of the Colorado River Outfitters Association. “Certainly, the central and northern part of the state will do better than the southern part.”

The Poudre, which originates high in Rocky Mountain National Park and flows down Poudre Canyon to Fort Collins en route to its confluence with the South Platte near Greeley, was 3% above normal. Kyle Johnson, co-owner of Poudre outfitter Rocky Mountain Adventures, said he is “cautiously optimistic” for a normal season, especially if spring temperatures are mild. His employees began river training this week, with plans to begin running trips on May 10.

“We currently have the best snowpack in the state,” Johnson said. “We’re having unseasonably warm periods in early season, and that could definitely take a toll. It got up to 76 in Fort Collins (on Sunday), so we are seeing some earlier than seasonally normal flows. We could use another spring storm or two.”

Johnson may get his wish. Cool high temperatures and below-freezing overnight lows are forecast for Rocky Mountain National Park over the next eight days. Hot spring weather isn’t what outfitters want to see. They want mild temperatures that produce gradual snowmelt with steady, consistent flows.

“The way to think about it is that the snowpack is kind of a safe deposit box, and we want a nice monthly withdrawal from that account,” Johnson said. “We don’t want big expenditures early in the season. There is always the concern that a heat-up too early could create one of those large withdrawals.”

A different story in the south

The Arkansas River, which is at the heart of the rafting industry with more than 40% of the state’s rafting business, was only at 74% of normal overall. That figure is misleading, however, when it comes to rafting since the measuring stations in the Upper Arkansas, above rafting areas of the river, were reporting at 91%.

“We’ll be OK,” said Bob Hamel, executive director of the Arkansas River Outfitters Association. “We’re not going to have any record peaks. It¶¶Ňőap going to be real family-friendly flows, and we’re not going to have flood situations. It¶¶Ňőap not going to be super high water. We need to be honest about that.”

The Arkansas has an insurance policy of sorts, too. It receives summer infusions of water from the Ruedi Reservoir on the Western Slope, 13 miles east of Basalt. Water from the reservoir is pumped through a tunnel underneath the Continental Divide to Turquoise Lake near Leadville, then south to Twin Lakes before augmenting the Arkansas.

That water ultimately goes to municipal and agricultural needs downstream, but it lifts all boats along the way, both for rafters and fishing interests in the Gold Medal trout stream.

“We just get the benefit in the movement of that water, because we get to ride on it when it flows by us on the Upper Arkansas as it moves down to Pueblo and points east from there,” Hamel said. “The bottom line is, we will have adequate flows. We’re looking for a good season, and a long season, because of the supplementation of the voluntary flow management plan.”

The snowpack at the headwaters of the Colorado River came in at 18% above normal. Rafting on the Upper Colorado and the section through Glenwood Canyon typically account for around 100,000 rafting user days annually, making the Colorado the state’s second-busiest river for rafting behind the Arkansas.

“It¶¶Ňőap in good shape, and the reservoirs there are looking good,” Costlow said, adding that the water will begin to release in early June and rise at the end of that month. “There will be decent flows on most of the Colorado for July, August and September.”

Clear Creek, typically the state’s third-busiest rafting destination, also had above-average snowpack. Its headwaters are located near Loveland Pass, and it flows through Georgetown, Idaho Springs and Golden before entering the South Platte near Commerce City.

Conditions in far southern Colorado are grim, however, with river basin snowpacks ranging from 27% below normal to 47% below. The Animas River, which originates near Silverton and flows through Durango, was 31% below normal, but Costlow said that may not be as dire for outfitters there as it might seem.

“I think they will go through Labor Day,” Costlow said. “Those late-summer, late-afternoon rains in late July and August, there’s just enough to feed the river to keep it flowing. I think they’ll do fine.”

A group of seven people started floating the river in inner tubes near Portland, about five miles east of Florence, on Saturday morning with a plan to float to their campsite on private land a few miles downstream,

The group became separated while tubing and a man in his mid-30s fell off his tube into the water.

A person fishing nearby saw the man unresponsive in the river, brought him to shore and started CPR, according to state officials.

Rangers and emergency services responded to the scene around 11 a.m., and the man was later pronounced dead.

Rangers did not find a life jacket on or near the man. His name and cause of death will be released by the Fremont County Coroner’s Office.

Colorado is on track to see a record-high number of water fatalities this year, according to CPW.

Still early in the summer season, Colorado Parks and Wildlife public information officer Rachel Gonzales said there have already been around 20 recreation-related water fatalities across the state so far this year.

“It¶¶Ňőap not even the Fourth of July weekend yet, and we’re at almost 20 recreation-related water fatalities. That¶¶Ňőap not okay,” Gonzales said. “We as an agency are stepping up patrol and enforcement.”

For the past couple years, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has kept an unofficial count of water-related deaths that occur in state parks or were reported to the agency. So far this year, water-related deaths are outpacing last year, when 32 people died throughout the summer season. This year is trending closely with 2022, when a record-breaking 42 people died while recreating in the water.

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An accident during a family rafting trip on the Colorado River claimed the life of New Castle resident Matt Clemente on Saturday. An experienced boatman, Matt was on the river near New Castle with his three children, his brother Nick, and Nick’s dog.

According to family friend Mary Sundblom, the family encountered trouble when their raft hit a large wave. Despite Matt¶¶Ňőap efforts to navigate safely, the raft filled with water and flipped. Matt was not wearing a personal flotation device.

The accident happened near a section of the river known at the “Dino Hole.” According to Sundblom, who learned of the incident from Matt¶¶Ňőap brother and children, Matt saw other boats taking a rough line and attempted to navigate to a safer route, resulting in the raft being overwhelmed by the waves. Nick was able to swim himself and Matt¶¶Ňőap oldest child, Jasper, 9, to shore.

Sundblom said nearby rafting guides with the Defiance Rafting Company managed to rescue Matt¶¶Ňőap two other children further downstream. Nick’s dog, Ooggie Boogie, was found alive Sunday by Garfield County sheriffs. According to a Garfield County Search and Rescue Facebook group post (which has since been deleted), a rescue team of eight members and two water crafts were dispatched, which located Matt¶¶Ňőap body downstream on a sandbar near the New Castle boat ramp Saturday evening. His body was retrieved using a helicopter around 7:35 p.m.

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