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DNR Cataract Incident

On May 11, 2025, a vessel became stuck on boulders while navigating a rapid on the Colorado River, prompting a rescue operation involving the National Park Service and Western River Expeditions. Passengers were safely evacuated by helicopter, and efforts to free the boat continued over the next two days, ultimately succeeding with additional resources. No injuries or damage to equipment occurred during the incident, although 600 feet of static line was lost.

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Robert Gehrke
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43K views2 pages

DNR Cataract Incident

On May 11, 2025, a vessel became stuck on boulders while navigating a rapid on the Colorado River, prompting a rescue operation involving the National Park Service and Western River Expeditions. Passengers were safely evacuated by helicopter, and efforts to free the boat continued over the next two days, ultimately succeeding with additional resources. No injuries or damage to equipment occurred during the incident, although 600 feet of static line was lost.

Uploaded by

Robert Gehrke
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF or read online on Scribd
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DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES PARKS AND RECREATION oO OFFICER REPORT Incident: 118277210 Page: 1 of 2 Report: R1618304 Case: 2025-000986 DETAILS ‘avy Cndes PHORTLEOW. PHOATLEOW (curred to: 05/12/2026 At: 23:00 cer Activity on: 05/21/2025 At: 08:00 Vessel DETAILS Owner _Bow # Decal # Expires HIN Make Model Style Year _Color Status in vee 0003-01-07 ‘Other Hake Snout Rig Waterca LIGHT BLUE Recovered NARRATIVE NARRATIVE ‘On 5/11/25 I launched the J-Rig from Potash for @ patrol down the Colordo River, through Cataract Canyon, and across Lake Powell ‘0 Bullfrog Marina. On board the vessel was Larry ELLERTSON, Linda ELLERTSON, Alan SMOOT, Marcie SMOOT. (On 5/42/25, at approximately 1200hrs, I was attempting to navigate the rapid ‘Big Drop 3'. The water line drops out of view on this rapid, its the most vertical drop of elevation on the entire Colorado River system. To successfully navigate this rapid, the boat ‘needs ta be lined up in an area that will allow it to float through a slot that Is created by bouldess. The slot cannot be seen ‘approaching the rapid, it comes into view as you drop into the rapid. I was too far right of the slot when I dropped Into the rapid, ‘and the boat became stuck on two boulders. There was a boulder underneath the front right tube, and underneath the rear right tube. T contacted Steve YOUNG, Cataract River Ranger with the National Park Service (NPS), through an Inreach satelite device ‘and informed him I had stuck the boat and that Western was trying to help us get the boat unstuck. Western River Expeditions was below Big Drop 3 and saw us stuck In the rapid. We got a rope to Western and they tied it to the left shore. We couldn't communicate with each other, but it appeared to me they didn't have the required rescue equlpment needed to pull the boat off the rocks. I packaged rescue gear In a PFD and floated it downstream from them to use. Western traveled downstream to retrieve it, but didn't get it until there were below the next two rapids, Westerns boat was unable to uprun the rapids, so they continued downstream to the take out. When Western left the area I requested the NPS respond to help get the boat unstruck. With a rope already attached to the left ‘shore, and the equipment and sklls the NPS have, I thought they would be able to get the boat unstuck that evening. NPS replied they could be there an hour before dark. When NPS arrived onscene they set up @ pulling system and began puling the rope that was already attached to the left shore. The rope became snagged on a rock n the river and they were unable to get enough tension on the line to-pul the boat off the rocks. [NPS worked to get the rope free until dark, at which time they decided to stop until it was light thé next morning. When the.

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