# Raft flips in smelter on the Animas, 56 year old man dead.



## peanutranch (Mar 26, 2008)

Anyone have any beta? Drove by there today and it looked like a keeper...


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## kayaklifeislife (May 12, 2015)

The Durango Herald 06/16/2015 | Rafter dies after a flip in Smelter Rapid


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

Condolences to the family.

This year has been bad for our little community.


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## hullflyer (Aug 22, 2004)

Hey Peanutranch. There aren't any true "Keeper" holes on the Lower Animas Everything is flushing with tons of green water underneath the holes. I'm fairly certain I was Surfing at the top wave in Smelter when this all went down. River was running at around 4K. Looked like the commercial trip passed us around 5:00 and were skirting all the big hits, going through the moving eddies being ultra careful. I even mentioned this with Oldschool that the Commercials don't run any of the main part of the rapid anymore. I did not see the accident. I am assuming the victim probably fell out at Corner Pocket which has a powerful eddy and went deep for a cold swim. . . Sorry I wasn't surfing at the Ponderosa Wave. Sad to say I think this may be the first commercial rafting death on the Lower Animas I can recall. Condolences to all involved. Regards to family and friends of the victim. Black day on the Lower A.


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