Colorado man dies in rafting accident, another man missing

A Colorado man has died and another man remains missing after a rafting accident on the Colorado River in Grand County. (Courtesy of the Grand County Sheriff's Office)

GRAND COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) – A Colorado man is dead and another man remains missing after a rafting accident Saturday afternoon in Grand County.

The Grand County Sheriff's Office said the accident happened on the Colorado River in Gore Canyon, southwest of Kremmling.

A 911 call was received around 3:40 p.m. Saturday reporting a man was not breathing on the Colorado River, according to the sheriff's office. Once there, first responders said they learned there had been a rafting accident and that a bystander was performing CPR.

The 56-year-old man was later pronounced dead by emergency personnel.

The Grand County Sheriff's Office said it learned another man was still missing after the raft capsized. Rescuers used additional rafts, ground crews, unmanned aerial systems and a Union Pacific Railroad Hi-Rail to search the 61-year-old man in the river and surrounding area, but were unable to locate him .

The identities of the two men have not yet been released pending notification of immediate family, but the sheriff's office said they are both from the Denver metro area.

Preliminary reports show both men were not wearing life jackets.

A third person in the group arrived ashore safely and was found, officials said.

The Grand County Coroner's Office will later release the identity of the 56-year-old man and the cause of death.

Grand County Search and Rescue, Grand County Sheriff's Office, Grand County Emergency Medical Services, Bureau of Land Management, Eagle County Sheriff's Office, Eagle County Paramedics, Rock Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Greater Eagle Fire Protection District and Vail Mountain Rescue all responded to the scene.

The Bureau of Land Management River Rangers will conduct additional searches on Sunday.

This is a developing story and more information will be provided as it becomes available.