Gunnison Couple, Toddler Safe After River Rescue
GUNNISON, Colo. (CBS4)- A couple from Gunnison and their 2-year-old boy are expected to be okay after they were rescued from an icy river. The entire family and their dog was thrown from their raft into the Dolores River on Thursday.
The raft toppled into the icy waters after hitting a rock south of Gateway. The father swam to get help while the little boy and his mother clung to a rock for about four hours, until help arrived.
The rescue required two dozen responders because of the river's high water and fast current.
"The snow stayed on so late that now that we're hitting truly warm temperatures it's coming off very rapidly," said a deputy with the Mesa County Sheriff's Office. "This river rose a lot since just this morning."
Authorities say inexperienced rafters should stay off the rivers, which are running high as record snowpack is starting to melt.
