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With Memorial Day Weekend marking the unofficial start to summer, officials are reminding the public to be safe when they head outdoors to recreate.
For Colorado Parks and Wildlife, water safety is a big part of that. Recently, in Garfield County, there were two deaths caused by drowning at state parks in a single week. On May 12, New Castle resident Diego Gutierrez Caraveo, 26, drowned after falling off a paddle board at Rifle Gap State Park. A week later, on May 19, Kelvin Velis Rivera, 28, of Rifle drowned after falling off a paddle board at Harvey Gap State Park. Neither man was wearing a life preserver, according to officials.
Travis Duncan is a public information officer with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. He says it’s critical that people have a life jacket with them at all times, including on a paddle board.
“There are various reasons for that, but one of the biggest ones is that we just have colder water here in Colorado,” he said. “And that can really impact the body, shock the body more quickly, especially folks that are from other areas where that water is not as cold. They might not be aware of just the danger they can encounter if they fall into the water.”
Colorado rules require that all children under 12 wear a life jacket when on a watercraft, at all times. All adults on a vessel must at least have a life jacket with them.
2022 was a record year for drowning deaths in Colorado, with a total of 42 water-related fatalities. 2023 was a less deadly year, but nearly 70% of the deaths occurred on swiftwater, or a river, as opposed to flatwater, like a lake. Duncan says last year, they saw a lot of incidents with rafting and kayaking on the Colorado and Arkansas rivers.
Holiday weekend recreation reminders
For those headed out to camp on the White River National Forest, U.S. Forest Service officials are reminding the public that it has renewed its food storage order to prevent conflicts with bears.
Paula Peterson is the White River National Forest’s Developed Recreation Program Manager.
“The basic rules of the food storage order are to keep your food, garbage, coolers, pet food, canned or bottled beverages, and other bear attractants in a hard-sided vehicle, the bear-resistant food lockers provided at many developed sites, or an approved bear-resistant food container, unless you are actively preparing food or within 100 feet of it during daytime hours,” she wrote in a statement.
In addition, backpackers in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area are required to use bear-resistant containers for their food and garbage. Forest officials say it’s a good idea to use bear-resistant containers on any backpacking trip in the White River.
The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee has a list of approved bear-resistant food containers on its website.
In addition to bears and high water, recreationists should also be aware of travel restrictions on the White River National Forest. Though the summer mountain bike and motorized travel season began on May 21, not every road will be dry or passable, and officials are asking people to stay off snowy and muddy roads.
That’s especially true of roads at higher elevations, which may still have snow, or be habitat to wildlife like calving elk.
The White River National Forest’s website has maps of where people can drive and bike, along with the most up-to-date fire conditions, and information about areas that require permits or reservations.
