Summit County Citizens Voice

Rafters on the Arkansas River, where there have been a series of boating deaths, including four in a single week in 2008. PHOTO COURTESY COLORADO STATE PARKS.

Tempory dam helped dive teams searching for the body of Kimberly Appelson, missing since a July 11 boating accident

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Dive teams Wednesday recovered what they presume is the body of Breckenridge raft guide Kimberly Appelson at Frog Rock Rapid on the Arkansas River.

Taking advantage of lower flows in the river, rescue workers Tuesday built a temporary coffer dam shunt the main flow of the river around the well-known feature. Wednesday, divers searched the area in pair starting at about 12 p.m. until the body was found at about 1:30 p.m.

About 36 rescuers were part of the effort including members of a Colorado Springs dive team and members of the Chaffee County Search. A special operations team from Summit County was also involved, according to Colorado State Parks spokesperson Deb Frazier.

“It was a remarkable effort. Now her friends and family will be able to have some closure,” Frazier said.
Appelson, a first-year raft guide, was on a recreational river trip when she fell into the river July 11. Since then, search teams made several efforts to find her body.

Although the accident spurred some talk of altering the rapid, park managers said the flow of the Arkansas will not be changed. The temporary dam was built with material obtained from the side of the river channel above Frog Rock Rapid. The material will be used to restore the river channel to its original configuration.

Filed under: Summit County Colorado Tagged: | Arkansas River, Frog Rock Rapid, Kimberly Appelson, rafting, search and rescue, Summit County News