A metal cable stretched across the Dolores River scraped five people off their raft on Tuesday, sending one woman to the hospital with a head injury.<\/p>\n
The Montezuma County Sheriff\u2019s Office is investigating the incident as a possible second-degree assault.<\/p>\n
The incident occurred near County Road 34.4 just after 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2. Victims said the cable \u201ccame out of the blue,\u201d and they had no time to react.<\/p>\n
The 35-year-old woman reportedly hit her head on a rock when thrown overboard. She suffered a concussion and reported feeling dizzy and nauseated. A 34-year-old man reported that his arm was caught on the cable. He suffered scrapes and bruises from the armpit to the wrist.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had the cable in my hand, and it pinned me under water,\u201d said rafter Josh Munson, of Dolores. \u201cI was scared.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cable did not appear to be set up for any legitimate purpose and appeared to be intentionally strung across the Dolores River to stop or harm anyone navigating the river, as if set up as a trap,\u201d sheriff\u2019s deputy John Hancock wrote in a three-page report.<\/p>\n
Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin advised Thursday morning that no arrests had been in the case, citing the investigation would take time.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe could use the public to assist with any information, and to contact the Sheriffs Office to report any suspicious activity,\u201d Nowlin said.<\/p>\n
Nowlin added deputies would be checking the river several times a day to locate possible hazards.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone should be cautious and alert when rafting,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n
With a decade of river experience, Munson said the incident was his first involving a man-made obstacle. Munson had paddled the same stretch of river multiple times last weekend, and said he hadn\u2019t seen the cable until Tuesday\u2019s incident.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have no idea why anyone would stretch a cable across the river during high-water season,\u201d Munson said.<\/p>\n
According to Munson, about 15 boaters made the same trip as his party on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver a dozen folks could have been harmed,\u201d Munson said.<\/p>\n
The Dolores Fire Department was called to the scene to remove the cable. Munson said the cable \u2013 downstream from the American Legion park and upstream from the Lightenburger Ranch where the river runs south \u2013 remained connected to a tree on the river\u2019s left bank. He said the cable could still pose an obstacle to boaters.<\/p>\n
The property where the cable was located is registered to a 60-year-old Arizona man.<\/p>\n