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Body of young woman recovered from Roaring Fork River

Roaring Fork River
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PITKIN COUNTY, Colo. — Rescue personnel in Pitkin County have recovered the body of a young woman who was swept downstream in the Roaring Fork River on Wednesday.

The victim, a 16-year-old from Kansas, was swept away in the river about 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, officials said. Crews found her body found her body about 100 yards down river from The Devil's Punchbowl, according to the PItkin County Sheriff's Office.

Witnesses tried to search for her before calling for help, according to the Pitkin County Incident Management Team.

The Pitkin County Sheriff's Office, Aspen Fire Department, Aspen Police Department and Aspen Ambulance Service responded to the area, which was along mile marker 50 on the highway, by the Devil's Punchbowl.

At the time she was swept away, the current of the river was very strong. Multiple rescue teams searched along the banks of the river, but by nightfall, they hadn't found her.

As the sun went down, they suspended the search, though limited searching was conducted overnight with night vision equipment.

On Thursday morning, the search resumed with additional resources under the management of the Pitkin County Incident Management Team, which is a multi-agency team.

The area is a popular area for summer activities, according to the Pitkin County Incident Management Team.