Death toll on Colorado rivers is rising because of heavy spring snowmelt

[TexasTowelie]

The deaths of two women in the Gunnison River on Friday brought the death toll in state waterways to five, and officials across the state are warning people to take caution when in the water because of heavy spring runoff.

The women died in separate incidents, according to the Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office. A 31-year-old woman was paddle-boarding just west of Gunnison when she fell into swift currents and got stuck in a tree in the river. About two hours later, a 65-year-old woman died in a rafting accident where the Gunnison enters the eastern end of Blue Mesa Reservoir.

On Thursday, a woman died in a rafting accident on a guided trip on the San Juan River in Southwest Colorado. Her raft flipped in a whitewater section of the river north of Pagosa Springs, and she was swept three miles downstream, according to the Durango Herald.

Earlier in June, a 29-year-old man died in a rafting accident on the Eagle River near Avon. And a 42-year-old Texas man, who was on a rafting trip with Boy Scouts, died after his raft flipped on the Arkansas River west of Canon City.

Read more: https://www.denverpost.com/2019/06/24/death-toll-colorado-rivers-snowmelt/

[2naSalit]

1. Huh...

sad that people ended up dead but WTF were they doing on the river during runoff? Up here in Montana you don;t see people doing that, if they do, there's no sympathy for them if they are that stupid or arrogant. The response around here, in major river activity country, is basically, "well f'ing DUH!"

You can't protect some people from themselves and those who would help them in their death march.

[eleny]

2. RIP and condolences to their families and friends

We have an irrigation ditch through our property It was running so fast and full yesterday that our pump couldn't keep up with it while watering our yard. We even flow irrigate part of our place at the same time and it was spilling over to places it has never reached in 40 years.

We're in north Lakewood south of Clear Creek where it crosses Kipling St. in Wheat Ridge and I bet it's running high and fast. I'll have to drive up there and take a look.

It can snow in the mountains in June. But up north of Fort Collins near the Poudre they had 14" of snow last week at the highest elevation. It's going to be a long runoff season this year.