From Steve Harris: Guides involved report that victim was found dead ashore, suggesting cardiac involvement. He probably made it ashore, then collapsed.
Two more rafting deaths reported on Rio Grande in Taos County
Marks three river deaths within a month
By Geoffrey Plant Jun 6, 2023
"At about 1:30 p.m. [on June 3], New Mexico State Police officers were dispatched to a report of a possible drowning in the Rio Grande Gorge," a state police spokesperson said Wednesday.
"Officers learned that a group of eight had been rafting," the spokesperson continued. "The raft overturned and all occupants went into the river. All resurfaced except John Matteson, 73, of Loveland, Colo. The other rafters administered first aid, but Mr. Matteson drowned, and their efforts were unsuccessful. No other rafters or first responders were injured."
The incident occurred at the bottom of the rugged Rio Grande Gorge, some 600 feet below the rim of the surrounding mesa.
"Officers coordinated with rescue, fire and EMS to reach the rafters and bring them back to the top of the gorge," the spokesperson said. "Mr. Matteson was recovered and pronounced deceased by the Office of the Medical Investigator."
An above-average snowpack and cool temperatures have delivered a sustained and robust runoff into the Rio Grande and its tributaries this spring, leading to sometimes hazardous conditions along stretches of the Rio Grande. On Saturday (June 3), the U.S. Geological Survey gauge near Cerro registered river flows that peaked at 3,070 cubic feet per second, triple the maximum river flow recorded by the gauge over the course of the entire last year.
Chief Varela estimated that the Rio Grande in Taos County typically sees an average of between one and two deaths per season. He said he and his staff will remain on high alert for the remainder of the rafting season while water levels remain high.
Clarification: After receiving conflicting reports on the location of the June 3 incident, Far Flung Adventures confirmed to the Taos News that John Matteson drowned in the Razorblades whitewater section of the Rio Grande.
From Steve Harris: Possible correction to John Matteson fatality categorization. Guides involved report that victim was found dead ashore, suggesting cardiac involvement was critical; May be incorrectly listed as flush drowning.
