River tuber dead in Colorado after resuscitation efforts fail

A man died while taking an innertube down a portion of the Arkansas River on July 13.

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, rangers were notified that a man was receiving CPR on the riverbank a few miles downstream of the town of Portland at about 11 a.m. Portland is located about 12 miles east-southeast of Cañon City.

Reports related to the investigation indicate that a group of seven people had entered the water with a plan to travel a few miles down the river to their campsite, which was located on private land.

Once on the river, the group became separated and a male in his mid-thirties fell out of his tube and into the water.

The man was pulled out of the water by a bystander who was fishing at the time. This bystander started the CPR effort.

Resuscitation efforts were ultimately unsuccessful and the man was pronounced dead at the scene. There was no personal flotation device found on the man or in the nearby area.

The Fremont County Coroner's Office will release the man's identity and official cause-of-death at a later date.

Colorado remains on track to pass the state's record of 42 water-related fatalities in a year, set in 2022. While there isn't an official count that's tracked throughout the season, it's believed that more than 30 water deaths have occurred in 2024.

A common trend in all of these deaths is a lack of a lifejacket or the improper use of one. Wear a life jacket anytime you're in or around the water and know that not doing so can result in extreme risk and in some cases, potential fines .

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