SYNOPSIS

On May 6, 2023, a raft capsized in the Racecouse section of the Rio Grande in New Mexico. All three people on board were ejected from the raft. Two people were able to swim to shore. The third person was found floating face down about one mile below the rapid. His death is presumed a drowning.

NARRATIVE

On May 6, 2023, Victim and two other people were rafting the Racecourse section of the Rio Grande, New Mexico's most popular whitewater run. They put in at Quartzite River Access, just below Pilar, in a 10-foot raft. At approximately 12:51 p.m. their raft capsized at Alberts Falls Rapid, the first in a long series of rapids in the Racecourse. All three people on board were ejected from the raft. Although the two others were able to swim to shore, Victim was swept back into the middle of the river.

A passing kayaker found Victim floating face down in the center of the river about a mile below the rapid and got him to shore, but was unable to revive him. Reports indicate Victim had already been under the water for about 10 minutes before Good sam began CPR.

The Taos County Sheriff's Office and Dixon Volunteer Fire Department responded to this incident. Sergeant with the sheriff's office stated that all three men were wearing life jackets, and Victim's life jacket was still on his body when he was removed from the river.

The Office of the Medical Investigator did a cursory exam at the scene, but did not declare an official cause of death. While it is likely that Victim drowned, it’s possible that he had a heart attack or some other “medical event” in the water. The operator of the raft stated it was Victim's first time rafting. He stated that Victim was obese and therefore possible why he didn't make it to the riverbank.

Spring runoff has led to seasonally high river flows. The river is rough, fast-flowing, and very cold. At the center of Alberts Falls Rapid is Alberts Hole, which can swallow and capsize vessels. The U.S. Geological Survey gauge recorded flow rates of about 2,600 cubic feet per second at the time of the incident. In these conditions, there would have been a small window to swim to the riverbank before being swept into the next series of rapids, about 1/2-mile to one mile long. The water temperature was about 50 degrees, which would have made swimming extremely exhausting.

Rio Grande
Pilar                         