25-year-old Durango woman killed in boating accident on Navajo Lake – The Journal

The victim was wearing a life jacket at the time of the accident

A Durango woman who was towed on a raft died Saturday at Navajo Lake State Park. (Durango Herald file)

A 25-year-old Durango woman was killed and another person was seriously injured in a boating accident at Navajo Lake State Park on Saturday.

At around 2:30 p.m., police authorities received a 911 call from one of the passengers reporting that a boat had collided with an inflatable boat with three people on board near Windsurf Beach on the Colorado side of Navajo Lake.

Archuleta County Coroner Brad Hunt identified the slain dinghy passenger as Mikayla Wright.

An autopsy will be performed on Tuesday, Hunt said.

The hose was towed by another vessel, said John Livingston, spokesman for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

It was initially unclear whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the accident; investigations into the accident were still ongoing on Sunday.

Another passenger on the dinghy was flown to Mercy Hospital by helicopter with serious injuries; a third passenger was uninjured.

“Several distress calls were received from other participants on the two vessels and were quickly relayed to our rangers,” said Park Ranger Mitchell Ramm in a Colorado State Patrol press release. “The call came in at 2:33 p.m. and I was on site shortly thereafter and found the two victims. The Southern Ute Police Department also came to help. Our condolences go out to the families and friends of the victims.”

The names and ages of the other two people on the tube were not disclosed.

Marine investigators have been examining the crime scene since 8:30 p.m. on Saturday. Ramm said the victims were wearing flotation devices.

The park remains open, including the campgrounds and marinas. After a brief closure, Windsurf Beach has also reopened. The accident scene has been temporarily cordoned off to facilitate the investigation.

[email protected]

Copy article link