Aspen Man Drowns Rafting Eagle River

Drowning Second River Death This Week

POSTED: 7:33 pm MDT June 5, 2010
UPDATED: 9:08 pm MDT June 6, 2010

EAGLE, Colo. -- An Aspen man died while rafting Saturday morning in the Eagle River – the second drowning in western Colorado this week. The Eagle County Sheriff's Office identified the victim as William Spang, 48.

Shannon Cordingly, spokeswoman for the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office, said shortly before noon, the man and two friends were rafting on the Eagle River west of Vail. The raft was going through an area of curves and choppy water when the raft overturned. The two friends were able to self-rescue but they didn't see their friend. They called 911 for help. The body of the man was recovered near Dowd Junction.

Cordingly said the men are considered experienced rafters and had been wearing personal floatation devices. “The river is definitely running stronger than usual,” she said. It was the first drowning in Eagle County this year. Tanny McGinnis of the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office said there is a high water advisory and they are asking people to be properly prepared if recreating in the water.

“The water is a totally different beast than it was yesterday,” McGinnis said. “The banks are flooded and there is a lot of debris in the water. We are really encouraging people not to be in the water near the banks without personal floatation devices.”