Increase in diving (neck) injuries in Colorado River, Grand Canyon NP.

In the last few weeks the NPS has responded to three shallow water diving incidents into the Colorado River. One of these (not involved with a river trip) resulted in devastating injuries. I’m hoping you might be able inform river guides of this disturbing trend by included a note in the boatman’s s quarterly or your guide email network.

In two of these incidents the patients were diving into the river from the shoreline impacting their heads into the bottom or unseen obstacles In the other incident a patient dove off the rear of a raft that was beached. While we continue to see extremity injury patterns from getting on and off the boats and during side hikes, these incidents usually don’t carry the potential for instantly catastrophic injury like shallow water diving does. Thanks for spreading the word for this watchout situation.

Brandon Torres

Branch Chief of Emergency Services

Grand Canyon National Park

office 928-638-7792928-638-7792

cell 928-607-6014928-607-6014