# Upper Colorado River fatality 6/5/14



## bigben (Oct 3, 2010)

Details are still coming in, but there's been a fatality on the Upper C this afternoon.

So there's been a fiberglass drift boat pinned on river left, 3/4 thru a rapid most people around here know as graveyard or boneyard. It's the last little rapid in the Red Canyon (Yarmony Canyon). Top of the straight-away above the Benches Campgrounds.
Apparently the victim was on a raft that hit the drift boat, was ejected, and was pinned between the drift boat and the rocks, entangled in the raft's un-coiled bow line.

No word yet if they're planning on removing the drift boat now, or letting higher water do it. 
If you're planning on running the Upper C anytime soon, keep your eyes open at the end of the canyon....

Please be careful out there folks. Rivers are running high all over. 
Let's all be as safe as possible.


----------



## mike sweeney (Jun 1, 2015)

Shit it must have been the group that put on behind my group. Saw EMS, Grand County Sheriff, BLM, and the river rangers running hot that way as I was leaving Pump House.


----------



## PoppyOscar (Jul 8, 2012)

Ugh, no bueno, prayers.

Dory + Raft + Pin + Entanglement + Weekday. Not a combination you hear everyday.


This is a run many of us have done in the past and is kind of routine. Always be safe and boat in numbers.

Again thoughts with the family.


----------



## MountainmanPete (Jun 7, 2014)

Hug your loved ones a little tighter tonight. Shit can hit the fan real quick and the easy "This won't happen to me" mentality can serve up nasty pie real quick. This is especially true for what some of us call our backyard run. Use the "sterile cockpit rule" when working on safety checks and briefs, and send some prayers to the survivors and relatives.


----------



## DEA4boating (Mar 10, 2010)

Really Sorry to hear, we saw it on Saturday and were considering to try and remove it on Sunday, as we had a big group that we were training, in the High Country River Rafters club. We looked at it for a z-drag practice but considered that too advanced for our rookie days.


----------



## Quiggle (Nov 18, 2012)

very sad to hear of the loss of a river soul, Are there any pictures of this pinned boat floating around?


----------



## mr. compassionate (Jan 13, 2006)

So there is an uncoiled bowline rope attached to the dory sitting in the water and she was caught up in it. 

Hope someone cut the rope and removed!


----------



## DEA4boating (Mar 10, 2010)

I rowed my cat up to it from down river side and did not see anything floating or gear tied off and hanging.


----------



## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

I think the rope was on the raft that the person fell off of, not on the drift boat. Certainly an unfortunate and sad incident.


----------



## COEngineer (May 29, 2013)

mr. compassionate said:


> So there is an uncoiled bowline rope attached to the dory sitting in the water and she was caught up in it.
> 
> Hope someone cut the rope and removed!


The OP says the rope was from the raft, not the dory.

I assume the OP meant 6/5/17


----------



## bigben (Oct 3, 2010)

Just got off the river. The dory has been removed and is beached at Bench 2.

And yes, from my understanding, the rope was from the raft, not the dory....

Condolences to all involved. Sounded like a really tough situation.

Be careful out there


----------



## PeggyLC (Jun 9, 2011)

So sad for the victim and his/her family/friends. Scary for all of us rafters. But there is a lesson here. Uncoiled bowline. Ugh. Please everyone, keep your bowline in a throw bag or have it coiled and tied really really well.


----------



## whiskey_river (Mar 2, 2015)

I hope the person that left their dory in the river for weeks has learned a valuable lesson.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Mountain Buzz mobile app


----------



## Gremlin (Jun 24, 2010)

So sad. Things happen quickly on the river, especially during runoff. Please be careful and double check your rigging and gear. Condolences to the family and friends.


----------



## MaverickUSC (Jun 24, 2014)

whiskey_river said:


> I hope the person that left their dory in the river for weeks has learned a valuable lesson.


It was very dangerous to approach. I reckon the BLM used hand grenades to get it unpinned.


----------

