Woman who died in Rio Grande river remembered in Colorado Springs

Hundreds of people packed inside the Springs First Church Saturday afternoon to remember, Roberta “Berta” Rodriguez after she died in the Rio Grande River.

In June, Rodriguez fell into the river after taking a picture on a rock with her boyfriend. Search crews in Mineral County started looking for her the same night. Ten days later, they recovered her body.

Now her family remembers her life through pictures.

Her cousin, Annalisa Perez said, “Roberta was a free spirit. She’s everywhere.”

She explains, Berta’s recovery from the river was symbolic for family members.

“When they pulled her out there was a thousand butterflies that came out, after she, after her body came out,” she says. Butterflies were placed throughout her ceremony.

There were no empty seats inside the sanctuary. Berta’s sister Julie Skufca said it showed how many people she touched in her life.

“She wasn’t just ours. She wasn’t just ours. We shared her with everyone,” she explained.

Now their family wants others to learn from her death.

Perez says, “it’s a beautiful sight, you know, Colorado is so beautiful, but just be careful when you’re out there.”

They’re hoping no other family has to experience the pain they have from a preventable accident.

Rodriguez leaves behind four kids who her family is planning on raising.