The Coloradoan is reporting that nine people had to be rescued from the Poudre River near Lions Park on the Fourth of July.

Matthew Spates, 26 of Fort Collins passed away at 5:30 a.m. Friday after he and eight other people were pulled from the water.

Ryan Thomas, Poudre Fire Authority captain said:

"A lot of the tubes were tied together, and that is an inherent risk when we start tying flotation devices together. If you come across a branch or a strainer, now you become entrapped on both sides of it, and that is what we ran into."

 

Thomas went on to say that the tubes they were using were purchased at a major retail store, but not equipped to handle the river.

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