EAGLE COUNTY, Colo. — The body of a man who was swept away by the Colorado River in Eagle County on Sunday afternoon was found on Wednesday, authorities said.
On Sunday at 4:17 p.m., deputies with the Eagle County Sheriff's Office responded to a call for help on the Colorado River near the Cottonwood Boat Ramp off Colorado River Road.
The 911 caller said 10 to 15 people were in the water trying to help somebody to shore near mile marker 6 on the road, the sheriff's office said.
Once deputies arrived at the scene, they learned that one man had been pulled from the water, resuscitated and transported to the hospital. A second man had been carried downstream.
Multiple other agencies responded to search for the man, including Vail Mountain Rescue, Gypsum Fire Protection District, Eagle River Fire Protection District, Greater Eagle Fire Protection District, Vail Public Safety Communications Center and Eagle County Paramedic Services.
They were unable to find the man that day and picked up the search Monday morning and continued it until Tuesday. The efforts included manned boats, kayaks, specialized water rescue teams, drones, sonar equipment, scent dog teams and other water search operations. The current was too strong for dive teams or remotely operated underwater vehicles, the sheriff's office said.
On Tuesday around 7:15 p.m., the sheriff's office said the search had to be suspended until Friday, when crews would expand the search to a different part of the river.
On Wednesday, first responders were called to the area of Lyons Gulch along Colorado River Road to recover a body. The description of the person matched the missing man, the sheriff's office said.
This location is about 1.5 miles downstream of the boat ramp where the missing man disappeared.
The Eagle County Coroner’s Office confirmed the identity of the man as Isaac Montaño Rivera, 32, from Chihuahua City in Chihuahua, Mexico.
A GoFundMe has been created for Rivera's family. The fundraiser reads that he was a single father.
No other details were available.
