Posted on 06/14/2010 6:33:54 AM PDT by bjorn14
Clear Creek sheriff's deputies on Thursday arrested a rafting guide for swimming to a stranded young rafter who had tumbled from his boat on Clear Creek.
Ryan Daniel Snodgrass, a 28-year-old guide with Arkansas Valley Adventures rafting company, was charged with "obstructing government operations," said Clear Creek Sheriff Don Krueger.
"He was told not to go in the water, and he jumped in and swam over to the victim and jeopardized the rescue operation," said Krueger, noting that his office was deciding whether to file similar charges against another guide who was at the scene just downstream of Kermitts Roadhouse on U.S. 6.
Duke Bradford, owner of Arkansas Valley Adventures, said Snodgrass did the right thing by contacting the 13-year-old Texas girl immediately and not waiting for the county's search and rescue team to assemble ropes, rafts and rescuers.
"When you have someone in sight who has taken a long swim, you need to make contact immediately," said Bradford, a 15-year rafting guide and ski patroller from Summit County. "This is just silly. Ryan Snodgrass acted entirely appropriately. These guys came to the scene late and there was a rescue in progress. They came in and took over an existing rescue. To leave a patient on the side of a river while you get your gear out of the car and set up a rescue system you read about in a book is simply not good policy."
Snodgrass' raft flipped on the runoff-swelled Clear Creek around noon Thursday and the girl swam from the raft. Krueger said the girl was missing for 30 to 45 minutes while Snodgrass searched for her. He said she swam a half mile from the spot where the raft capsized.
Since it had been so long, Krueger said, it was no longer the rafting company's rescue.
"They should involve themselves up to a point. They lost contact. Whether they want to say they were trying to rescue their customer, when they had lost visual contact and had no idea where their customer has been for 30 to 45 minutes, then it becomes our issue."
Bradford said he would expect his guides to do the same thing again. His guides are professionals, he said, trained and certified in swiftwater rescue.
"To jump into water and navigate a river in a swiftwater rescue is common. You get into the river and swim. You have to do it," Branford said. "The fact these guys don't understand that is disturbing. Making contact immediately with your victim is essential. It's not about who is in charge. It's about the safety of a 13-year-old girl. You are going to do everything in your power to insure the safety of your guest, and if that means in Idaho Springs you get arrested, well I guess we'll just get arrested."
“obstructing government operations”
that cannot seriously be a crime in Colorado.
Interfering with UNIONS? Not ‘their’ job....to save a life?
Makes a good ad for Arkansas Adventures, I’d say.
This will NOT end well for the stupid Sherrif.
What a maroon!
If that was my daughter, I would sue the Sherrifs dept for obstruction
The stupid Goverment strikes again
Thank God the girl is safe! The rest of the story is nuts! Whoever can get there the quickest should be the one to go after her. We live in a strange world these days.
It’s now become a crime to save someone?
Orwellian indeed....how many have rushed into burning buildings and saved children while the fire dept is in route?
“I shot the sheriff”
I don’t know the legalities, or the rules of conduct, but arresting this guide seems petty and vindictive. Especially since it was a successful attempt. Is the sheriff peeved he didn’t get the credit?
Typical bureaucrats. They care about “process” and have no concern for results.
Oh, I think it is. It very much is.
Hope he demands a jury trial.
Cops are more interested in stroking their egos than serving the public.
But didn’t shoot the deputy..............
In before the Southpark pictures.
Something is definitely wrong when it is illegal for a qualified rescuer to help someone in need.
Is the greed, stupidity, laziness, and ineffectiveness of government employees and elected officials a symptom of our general decline or are they leading the charge?
Well, they, the government, had to schedule a meeting to decide how to handle the problem, set money aside, have rescue boats made ready, called the press for pictures and then when everything was ready start the rescue attempt.
Figure in about a month.
STUPID GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE BONE.
>>>Hope he demands a jury trial.
Jury trial is not enough - need at least one juror to see it for what it is, and lead the rest to nullification.
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