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5d ago

Colorado River Body Identified as Missing Rafter Nearly a Year After Accident

Low water levels near Rancho Del Rio exposed remains that ended a nearly yearlong search following a June 2024 rafting accident.

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KREMMLING, CO - AUG. 24, 2014: Expert rafters and kayakers paddle through Gore Canyon's signature Gore Rapid during the annual raft and kayak race through the Class V canyon last Sunday. The Colorado River flowing through remote, steep-walled gorge just south of Kremmling is one of the state's most valuable recreational assets.(Photo By Scott Willoughby / The Denver Post)
The body of a missing boater was found in the Colorado River almost one full year after a rafting accident, officials said.

Overview

  • The June 2024 rafting accident in the Yarmony Rapids section of the Colorado River capsized a raft, killed Brent Boulter and left Thomas Russell missing.
  • River Rangers, Bureau of Land Management crews, drones and Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers scoured the river for days after the capsizing but failed to locate Russell.
  • On May 21, Eagle County sheriff’s deputies found a body near Rancho Del Rio after water levels dropped significantly in the area.
  • Dental records analyzed by the Grand County Coroner’s Office confirmed the remains belonged to Thomas Russell, a 62-year-old Littleton resident.
  • Neither Russell nor Boulter was wearing a personal flotation device during the accident, prompting Sheriff Brett Schroetlin to reiterate the life-saving importance of life vests.