A rafter died on the Arkansas River east of Salida on Friday.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife said witnesses saw three people enter the Bear Creek Rapid at around 3pm. The rafters were thrown from the watercraft when it flipped in the Class III rapid.
One person got to shore on their own and another was rescued by an Arkansas Headwaters Ranger. CPW said the third rafter most likely got entangled with the upside-down raft, which was spotted about 2 miles downstream just above Wellsville.
Boaters on a private craft brought the victim to shore where CPR was performed, but the rafter was pronounced dead at the scene.
CPW said this was the 14th confirmed water-related death in Colorado in 2023 and the third in the Arkansas River in a week.
