(DailyChive.com) – A New Mexico man who tried to navigate the Colorado River in a homemade wooden raft with his dog was found dead in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona.
The National Park Service (NPS) stated that park rangers found the dead body of 58-year-old Santa Fe resident, Thomas Robinson, who supposedly went on rafting.
Just last month, the NPS found his abandoned 2001 champagne Toyota Tacoma near Lees Ferry in Arizona, a site from where many adventurers start their rafting journey in the Colorado River.
The agency now believes that the man carried his dog and tried to travel through the Colorado River on his raft after parking his car.
The Coconino County Medical Examiner is conducting a medical examination of the dead body while the NPS is investigating the incident.
The exact cause of death remains undetermined at this time.
Rafters are considered safe in the Colorado River as long as they follow the standard protocols. In fact, the river is famous for offering exceptional rafting opportunities, which attracts people from across the country. Robison only signed up for trouble after using the self-made raft from three planks loosely joined together and taking his pet together.
The NPS spokesperson Joelle Baird did acknowledge that Robinson was an experienced rafter and he knew what he was doing. However, Baird continued, he was not properly equipped and did not hold the river permit, adding that having a dog with him only increased his difficulties on such a challenging journey.
The dog, which is also presumed dead, is still missing.
The region is well known for many deadly incidents. In November 2023, a 65-year-old Arizonian hiker, James Handschy, died on the famous Grand Canyon hiking trail during his 18-mile adventure. This marked the 10th fatality at the park for that year.
Just a couple of months earlier, in September 2023, another hiker, Ranijith Varma, 55, died during a hasty rim-to-rim 21 miles hike in a single day.
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