Man dies after raft flips on Eagle River in Avon

AVON — A rafting accident near EagleVail left one man dead Thursday afternoon.

First responders pulled a rafter out of the Eagle River on Thursday afternoon and performed life-saving measures on him in front of onlookers just outside the gate of the pool at the Weston Riverfront Resort & Spa.

Around 1:10 p.m., emergency crews responded to a call regarding a flipped raft in the Eagle River. The call was made after one of the rafters scrambled to get out of the river and alerted nearby golfers to call 911.

Four of the rafters were able to get to safety, while one remained behind. Crews rallied behind the Westin pool to rescue the rafter, who was administered CPR and was taken away in an ambulance. His condition is currently unknown, though the man had a heart rhythm prior to transport.

First responders then worked to pull the empty raft up the river bank. Responders have been practicing fast water rescues for the past several weeks in anticipation of high river flows.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

via:: Post Independent