High river waters bring concern for rafters

Hundreds of thousands of people flock to southern Colorado every summer to raft down the Arkansas River.

With high water on the Arkansas right now, safety is key for rafters. The first rescue of the season was made Tuesday night in Pueblo.

Rafting guides say it takes special skill to navigate the river and do it safely.

Adventure Outfitters owner- Tony Keenan has safely escorted hundreds of rafters, tragedy free.

But when the river swells, Keenan says the danger level increases.

“It gets pretty fast, it gets pretty pushy,” he said.

The Arkansas is running more than 1,000 cubic feet per second above average in some spots, a rate that should only be ridden by experienced rafters.

“Flip boats back over in case one goes upside down. They learn how to get boats to shore, rescue people from the river, and they learn how to get boats off rocks,” said Keenan.

For those inexperienced in navigating the Arkansas, Keenan says a guide and a life vest are musts.

When rafting down the Arkansas River, only two types of life vests- three or five – are allowed, in order to keep rafters safe.

While the river is high for this time of year, it’s nowhere near where it peaked last year. Still, it’s enough to keep some people from the water.

“Actually, I won’t go … river kayaking because I don’t know how to roll,” said Travis Parkhurst.

Others won’t play it that smart.

“The lower flows, the very low extreme and the very high extreme are when the most risks are presented,” said Keenan.

Keenan says the only way to prevent tragedy on the water is to double up with rafts.

“They don’t want to be out there alone, they don’t want to be a single boat trip at these high of flows,” Keenan said.

River outfitters are quick to recognize the potential danger of the water. They often move trips to calmer stretches of river to ensure the safety of their clients.