A Craig man died on Saturday while kayaking in Dinosaur National Monument. The identity of the 66-year-old man has not been released because family is still being notified. The accident happened at about 2:00pm on July 15th. The man was on a two-person private trip using inflatable kayaks on the Yampa River when the kayaker hit a rock in Tepee Rapid and capsized. The man was wearing a personal flotation device but never resurfaced. “The reporting party kayaked 24 miles downstream to Hells Canyon Ranch to report the incident,” shares the Monument press release. “Monument staff were contacted just before 9:00pm on Saturday evening. Search and rescue efforts were launched Sunday morning.” Because of the accident’s remote location and low water levels, a helicopter was used to aid in the response. The helicopter was already on-site in the monument assisting on a wildland fire assignment. The kayaker’s body was found at 11:40am Sunday morning about 3 miles downstream from where he had last been seen. The recovered body was transported to the Moffat County Coroner.
