Man dies after Clear Creek Canyon tubing accident, another sent to hospital

Updated July 6, 2022 6:51 p.m.

A man has died after being pulled from the Clear Creek Canyon.

Two people were rescued from the river after a tubing accident and taken to the hospital Tuesday.

Golden and Arvada Fire Department water rescue crews arrived on scene to find a woman clinging to a rock and an unconscious man floating in the river.

Crews administered CPR to the man. The woman sustained minor injuries. The male victim did not survive.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department says a group of four people were tubing on the river that afternoon. All four were thrown into the water. Two other men in the group were able to reach the shore on their own.

Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Jackie Kelly said tubing is prohibited on that stretch of the Clear Creek Canyon due to danger. Signs are posted in the area.

“Most of the time what we’re doing up there is trying to keep people safe. Keep them educated on where  they can and can’t be,” Kelly said. 

Traffic on U.S. Highway 6 between Tunnel 1 and Highway 93 was closed between 1:15 p.m. to 2:01 p.m. during the rescue. 

Kelly said it is unknown if the group will face any punishment for violating the order.

This is the second tubing accident in Clear Creek Canyon in as many days. A woman died on the same stretch of water on Saturday.