# Pinned Drift boat on The Upper Colorado



## geokayaker (Mar 20, 2017)

There is a pinned drift boat just below needles eye on the Pump House to Radium section. It is on river right about ten feet off shore where the majority of the flow is going. 
It looks like any raft or kayak will go right over it if they were to drift into it, but you should avoid it anyway, if you are guiding or playing in the area be extra cautious; there is always the possibility that a swimmer or a boat can get pinned on an unnatural strainer like this one.


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## MaverickUSC (Jun 24, 2014)

Yeah. This happened after 3pm Friday. It looks very unusual from upstream and is pretty impressive really. Boat is completely upside down and submerged. Looks like a dory and is in a worse spot than the one in Boneyard was. 

I agree we can float over it now, but the levels are dropping daily and this will become more of a hazard quickly. It is impossible to remove now, but it should be removed ASAP due to it's location... right in the current below Neddle's Eye. 

Do not relax below Needle's Eye. Drive left through the garden above Mary's Wall.


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## MaverickUSC (Jun 24, 2014)

Downriver end of boat is exposed now, 2450 cfs. Cuidado y'all.


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## dafewillis (Jun 21, 2014)

Whose boat, anybody know? If it's a guide's, it'll likely have the shop name on it. Prolly private, though.


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## geokayaker (Mar 20, 2017)

*The boat owner is known*

The Rangers know who owns the boat.


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## RiverCowboy (Mar 14, 2011)

*Drift Boat Recovery*

What's the deal with just anyone going down there and, say, recovering it, slinging it between two boats, and sweeping it out to the Radium ramp?

I'm sure owners would love to salvage if possible, is it kosher for someone capable to just go ahead and move it?


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## CSHolt (Jun 4, 2011)

What up with all the drift boats getting pinned on the upper C this year?


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## theusualsuspect (Apr 11, 2014)

Happens every year, this year there was the unfortunate death due to one so it's more on the radar. If I wasn't having a baby this week I'd love to help get it moved, dangerous hazard for a very highly used run. 

How many boats were lost on the Green this year at 8600? At least half a dozen based on what was and wasn't widely reported.


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## CSHolt (Jun 4, 2011)

theusualsuspect said:


> Happens every year, this year there was the unfortunate death due to one so it's more on the radar. If I wasn't having a baby this week I'd love to help get it moved, dangerous hazard for a very highly used run.
> 
> How many boats were lost on the Green this year at 8600? At least half a dozen based on what was and wasn't widely reported.


 
WHAAT? 6 boats lost on the green? Shit I didn't hear about a single one ... any links to some of those stories?


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## theusualsuspect (Apr 11, 2014)

I saw 3 personally in one weekend. No guide shop will advertise that, but occasionally this spring spinnerfall anglers would mention it on their instagram page. If you search through their posts you will find them.


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## CSHolt (Jun 4, 2011)

theusualsuspect said:


> I saw 3 personally in one weekend. No guide shop will advertise that, but occasionally this spring spinnerfall anglers would mention it on their instagram page. If you search through their posts you will find them.


 
DAMN that is crazy!


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## outathaboatBruce (Mar 2, 2017)

A fence puller is a fine piece of gear. Overlooked by most people but it can lift an engine. It's pretty small and usually has 25' of cable.


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## Shane_BLM_Kremmling (Feb 19, 2016)

The river crew has removed the drift boat from the canyon.


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## Lebowski (Aug 19, 2015)

Our crew has pretty much said no drift boats on any of our overnight floats. We had one capsize and the 2 in the boat nearly drowned on the Smith (MT) because of it. The Smith of all rivers. Granted, they were messing around in the cave, but we decided it just wasn't worth it anymore.


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## duct tape (Aug 25, 2009)

Lebowski said:


> Our crew has pretty much said no drift boats on any of our overnight floats. We had one capsize and the 2 in the boat nearly drowned on the Smith (MT) because of it. The Smith of all rivers. Granted, they were messing around in the cave, but we decided it just wasn't worth it anymore.


An open, drift boat or a decked whitewater dory? Don't know details of your trip but couldn't the same have happened with a raft, cat, or even kayak in the wrong spot?

With my dory it seems with the clean deck there's the least possible entrapment possibility vs other craft. 

There's plenty of people who have run countless Grand, and numerous other Western river, trips who would argue their river worthiness.


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