Human Remains Found In Colorado River Identified As Rafter Who Went Missing Nearly 1 Year Before

Dental records confirmed that human remains found in the Colorado River late last month belong to a rafter who went missing almost exactly one year before, on June 1, 2024, authorities said Wednesday.

The Grand County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado said Wednesday that dental records identified the body as that of 61-year-old Thomas Russell of Littleton.

Russell vanished on June 1, 2024, after the raft he was in capsized in the Yarmony Rapids area of the Colorado River near the border between Grand and Eagle counties. At approximately 3:40 p.m. that day, the Grand County Communications Center received a text-to-911 alert reporting an unresponsive person on the river. Emergency responders from multiple agencies — including Grand County Search and Rescue, Eagle County Sheriffs Office, the Bureau of Land Management, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife — converged on the scene.

When they arrived, crews found Brent Boulter, a 56-year-old from Aurora, unresponsive. Despite bystander CPR efforts, he was pronounced dead by emergency personnel. Russell was also thrown from the raft and could not be located despite a multi-agency search that included aerial drones, boats, and assistance from Union Pacific Railroad. A third individual involved in the accident was able to exit the river safely.

Initial reports from the scene indicated that neither Boulter nor Russell had been wearing personal flotation devices at the time of the accident.

The search continued in the following days following, but additional efforts from River Rangers and Colorado Parks and Wildlife between Radium and Two Bridges failed to locate Russell.

It wasnt until May 21, 2025 — nearly a year later — that the Eagle County Sheriffs Office discovered a body in the river near Rancho Del Rio, exposed after water levels significantly dropped.

A preliminary investigation suggested the remains were those of Russell, and the case was transferred to the Grand County Coroners Office. His identity was officially confirmed through forensic dental analysis, and next of kin were notified.