A man died and another was injured in a rafting accident on the Roaring Fork River near Basalt Whitewater Park, according to the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office.
Around 2:05 p.m. Saturday, Pitkin County dispatch received a call about a swift water incident near the Basalt Whitewater Park on the Roaring Fork River, according to a Saturday news release from the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office. According to the call, two rafts had capsized and two occupants were floating downriver.
Rescue crews searched the Roaring Fork River and pulled the two rafters from the river near the intersection of West Two Rivers Road and Colorado State Highway 82, according to the release. One rafter, a 61-year-old man, was treated for minor injuries at the scene and the second rafter, a 74-year-old man, was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. He was later pronounced deceased, according to the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office. His identity has not yet been released.
Both men were experienced rafters and it was an unfortunate accident, officials said.
The number of water-related deaths is already higher than this time last year and more than four people have died or gone missing in water-related accidents since May 30.
Whitewater rafters should be aware of rapidly changing river conditions. Current conditions on the Roaring Fork River, which is nearing peak levels, are extremely dangerous, according to the release.
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