The victim in a rafting accident that took place on the Green River in Dinosaur National Monument on Saturday has been identified. Officials released that 47-year-old Anthony Vasi, from Newport Beach, California, died in the rafting accident at Triplet Falls, a remote area about 12 miles from the monument’s northern boundary near Gates of Lodore. The Moffat County Coroner’s Office confirmed that the official cause of death was drowning, as suspected. A Tuesday update from Dinosaur National Monument provided further details on Saturday’s tragic accident. “At approximately 12:15 pm on July 6th a commercial raft entered a feature in the rapids at Triplet Falls known as ‘the Birth Canal’ and became stuck on one of the rocks,” shares Tuesday’s announcement. “Several passengers, including Vasi, were ejected into the water. Vasi was responsive while trapped in the water, but initial attempts to pull him out were unsuccessful. He became unresponsive when being moved from behind the rock into the main current by a rescue swimmer. Another boat assisted with moving Vasi onto a gravel bar downstream of the rapid, where CPR was immediately initiated. Members of the rafting trip continued to provide CPR until care was transitioned to the helicopter flight crew of Classic Air Medical, who arrived on the scene
at 1:30 pm
and declared Vasi deceased.”
