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SALIDA, Colo. — Authorities in Colorado believe they have recovered the body of a Vernal woman who has been missing since her raft overturned Saturday in the runoff-swollen Arkansas River.
A person on the bank of the river spotted "something suspicious" below the surface about 6 p.m., according to Chaffee County Undersheriff John Spezze. Deputies and firefighters were called to the scene and recovered a woman's body.
"Official identification won't come until the coroner does official identification," Spezze said, "but the family was there tonight, and we're almost 100 percent certain it's Amanda Taylor."
Taylor, 31, as rafting with six others when their boat went over a diversion dam Saturday night. Five of the people were able to get out of the water on their own and call for help. Rescue crews pulled a sixth person from the water Saturday night, but had to call off the search for Taylor due to darkness.
The body found Wednesday night was pulled from the water about 3 miles downstream from where Taylor went into the water, Spezze said. A pathologist in Colorado Springs is expected to conduct an autopsy Thursday to confirm the identification and determine the cause of death, the undersheriff said.
