A 20-year-old Fort Collins woman rafting on the Cache la Poudre River died Thursday after the raft hit a bridge pylon, according to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office.
Emergency dispatchers first received calls at 12:55 p.m. about an empty commercial raft on the river near Greyrock Trailhead off of Colorado 14, sheriff’s officials said in a news release Friday. The trailhead is in Poudre Canyon approximately 18 miles west of Fort Collins.
While responding, emergency crews learned that a group from a local rafting company struck a bridge pylon and an adult woman was injured and receiving CPR on the river bank. No other rafters were injured.
The woman was taken by ambulance to a hospital and later pronounced dead, according to the sheriff’s office. She was later identified as Ciara Byrne and her death was ruled an accidental drowning, according to the Larimer County Coroner’s Office.
“This is a tragic loss that deeply impacts someone’s loved ones and our whole community,” sheriff’s office Captain Tim Keeton said in a statement Friday. “We’ll continue supporting her family in the difficult days ahead.”
The raft is still stuck on the pylon and may be visible until it can be safely removed, according to the sheriff’s office.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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Updated 3:31 June 5, 2024: This article was updated to include the victim’s identity and cause of death.
