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| Springs firefighters find missing rafter in Arkansas River | |||
| Thursday, October 28, 2010 07:13 |
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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Colorado Springs firefighters braved 35-degree water to find the body of a rafting guide that had been missing for more than three months. Kimberly Appelson, 23, was thrown from a raft on the Arkansas River on July 11, according to Chaffee County Sheriff's reports. The Summit Daily newspaper in Frisco reported that Colorado Springs divers found her body in an underwater cavern Wednesday at Frog Rock rapid about two miles north of Buena Vista. “There was a lot of different agencies looking for her over the past few months," said Lt. Bill Hull, a Colorado Springs diver who was helping with recovery efforts. "We got called for assistance because it was a subsurface recovery. We’re glad we were able to do it.” Appelson was off-duty when she was thrown from the raft at the rapid. Chaffee County deputies said she was wearing a life jacket but no helmet. Four other people were in the raft with Appelson. One of them was also thrown from the raft, but managed to get back in. In August, the flow of the river was slowed above Salida in hopes of finding her body, but that effort was not enough. Colorado Springs firefighters used the recovery effort to keep their skills sharp should they need to respond in an emergency cold-water or whitewater rescue. |
