Capsized boaters rescued

A floating tree capsized a boat Saturday afternoon sending three Colorado men into the Platte River between the Highway 130 bridge and Saratoga. The three men were able to climb upon the tree and floated for an hour before they were discovered by another boater who called 911.

According to Archie Roybal, Carbon County Undersheriff, the Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center received a call around 2:15 p.m., stating three men were stranded on a tree floating down the river just north of Treasure Island.

Dustin Boyd, of Boulder, Colo., Kyle Travis, of Broomfield, Colo., were fishing, while Courtney Snyder, also of Broomfield was rowing. According to the report, two of the men were not wearing their personal flotation devices, but had them next to them at the time the boat was capsized.

The Saratoga Division of the Carbon County Search and Rescue was paged to respond along with a Deputy Sheriff.

The men were seen floating on the tree near Ryan Ranch south of the Highway 130 bridge.

The Search and Rescue team went in to the area on four-wheelers and were eventually able to make voice contact with the stranded men, the press release said.

The Search and Rescue team threw a bag containing rope to the men, which was used to secure the tree and prevent it from going further down the river.

In the meantime, other Search and Rescue team members launched a boat upstream, approached the men and removed them from the tree.

They were taken to shore where they were transported on four-wheelers to the command post and checked out by the waiting ambulance crew.

The boat the men were floating in was descibed as a 2008 Clackacraft and is still wedged up under a tree in the Platte River.

Search and Rescue members involved in the rescue were Randy Sikes, Creed James, Pat Vining, Kelley Long, Pat Waliser, Nick Cary, Bo Alameda, Brandon Gray, Jason Theesfeld, Robie Collins, Ryan Wells, Landon McGuire, Brad Cary, Tom Westring, Joe Gaudesi and Will Ryan.

 

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