Man dies in Fremont County during weekend tubing trip
FREMONT COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) says that the Fremont County Sheriff's Office (FCSO) is investigating after a man died Saturday during a private tubing trip down the Arkansas River east of Portland in Fremont County.
According to CPW, Arkansas River Recreation Area (AHRA) rangers were notified around 11 a.m. that a man was receiving CPR along the riverbank a few miles downstream of Portland.
First responders from multiple agencies including Florence EMS, Fremont County Sheriff's Office, the Fremont County Coroner, and CPW responded to the scene.
CPW says that reports indicate a group of seven people on innertubes entered the river near the town of Portland and planned on floating to their campsite on private land a few miles downstream. While tubing, the parties got separated and one person, a male in his mid-thirties, was reported to have fallen off his tube and into the water.
A bystander who was fishing nearby observed the unresponsive man in the river and was able to bring him to shore and begin CPR along with others. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful and the victim was pronounced deceased on scene by Fremont County medical staff.
No personal flotation device was observed on or near the victim at the time of the incident.
“Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the victim,” said Tom Waters, AHRA park manager.
The body was turned over to the Fremont County Coroner for determination of the cause of death, formal identification, and notification of the next of kin.
Colorado is currently on pace to surpass the record 42 water-related fatalities set in 2022.
