On July 15, 1997 there was an accident during a commercial raft trip on the Colorado River near Glenwood Springs, CO. The. The victim, Hal Mullery, was in one of three rafts on a high water run. His boat dump-trucked in a breaking wave at Shoshone Falls and spilled 5 of 8 people into the river. The guide and several other people swam to shore; Mr. Mullery and a few others recirculated in a hole downstream. The victim clearly got the worst beating in the hole. He was picked up by a raft that was waiting downstream and taken ashore. CPR was performed, and paramedics took him to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The remaining guests high-sided and were able to stay in the boat.
SOURCE: Ian Coble, via email
ANALYSIS: (Walbridge) It’s not clear why the victim died while others survived. Perhaps he inhaled water, causing a laringospasim which shut down his bronchial tubes.
Ian Coble reported via email that his aunt and uncle were on a commercial raft trip in mid-July when a member of their party died. The accident occurred at Shoshone Falls on the Colorado River near Glenwood Springs. The victim, Hal Mullery, was in one of three rafts that dump-trucked in a breaking wave and spilled 5 of 8 people into the river. The guide and several other people swam to shore; Mr. Mullery and a few others apparently recirculated in a hole downstream, the victim clearly took the worst beating in the hole. He was picked up by a raft that was waiting downstream and taken ashore. CPR was performed, and paramedics took him to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Mr. Coble’s relatives high-sided and were able to stay in the boat.
