Posted on 06/14/2010 6:33:54 AM PDT by bjorn14
Clear Creek sheriff's deputies on Thursday arrested a rafting guide for swimming to a stranded young rafter who had tumbled from his boat on Clear Creek.
Ryan Daniel Snodgrass, a 28-year-old guide with Arkansas Valley Adventures rafting company, was charged with "obstructing government operations," said Clear Creek Sheriff Don Krueger.
"He was told not to go in the water, and he jumped in and swam over to the victim and jeopardized the rescue operation," said Krueger, noting that his office was deciding whether to file similar charges against another guide who was at the scene just downstream of Kermitts Roadhouse on U.S. 6.
Duke Bradford, owner of Arkansas Valley Adventures, said Snodgrass did the right thing by contacting the 13-year-old Texas girl immediately and not waiting for the county's search and rescue team to assemble ropes, rafts and rescuers.
"When you have someone in sight who has taken a long swim, you need to make contact immediately," said Bradford, a 15-year rafting guide and ski patroller from Summit County. "This is just silly. Ryan Snodgrass acted entirely appropriately. These guys came to the scene late and there was a rescue in progress. They came in and took over an existing rescue. To leave a patient on the side of a river while you get your gear out of the car and set up a rescue system you read about in a book is simply not good policy."
Snodgrass' raft flipped on the runoff-swelled Clear Creek around noon Thursday and the girl swam from the raft. Krueger said the girl was missing for 30 to 45 minutes while Snodgrass searched for her. He said she swam a half mile from the spot where the raft capsized.
Since it had been so long, Krueger said, it was no longer the rafting company's rescue.
"They should involve themselves up to a point. They lost contact. Whether they want to say they were trying to rescue their customer, when they had lost visual contact and had no idea where their customer has been for 30 to 45 minutes, then it becomes our issue."
Bradford said he would expect his guides to do the same thing again. His guides are professionals, he said, trained and certified in swiftwater rescue.
"To jump into water and navigate a river in a swiftwater rescue is common. You get into the river and swim. You have to do it," Branford said. "The fact these guys don't understand that is disturbing. Making contact immediately with your victim is essential. It's not about who is in charge. It's about the safety of a 13-year-old girl. You are going to do everything in your power to insure the safety of your guest, and if that means in Idaho Springs you get arrested, well I guess we'll just get arrested."
History check on the sheriff’s behavior ?
A few years ago Worcester, MA firefighters ran into a burning abandoned building to rescue two vagrants reportedly living there on the word of bystanders. about six firefighters lost their lives in that attempt. The vagrants were not in the building. Law enforcement subsequently charged the two vagrants with murder. Talk about liberal government that allowed them to live in the building in the first place. This tragedy was caused solely by bad government and bad operational decisions. Of coarse the real culprits were never faulted.
It’s a rice bowl isue.
For example, Anchorage just dumped the Fire Dept Ocean resuce unit and the Search and Resuce unit to due to funding problems (Cause by massive Union pay raises natch)
THe Union folks were screaming about how folks were “going to die”
When asked how many rescues were actually performed by the unit, you could hear crikets.
A handfull in the last 12 years and most of those were body recovery - for the most part.
It is in all 50 States. Government thinks once it acts it has the sole right to do so.
It's about government bureaucracy to the bureaucrats.
They're so out of touch, it's disgusting.
As a federal law? Or a state law?
I hope Rahm doesn’t read about this. Next thing you know they’ll wait until BP plugs the leak and then sue them on grounds that BP interfered with President Obama’s responsibility to deal with the situation. They’ll claim that but for BP, Obama could have done it better, faster, cheaper (and if you don’t believe that, he’ll kick your ass).
Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office
“Working Toward The Future”
Don Krueger, Sheriff
http://www.clearcreeksheriff.us/sheriff.htm
“He defied an order from a law enforcement officer.”
What, he’s God?
I do not take orders from my employees.
Hank!
Hope he asks for a jury trial.
The sheriff needs to have his hat stove in.
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Probably the hat mashing will come from the DA’s office.
I doubt they will accept such an asinine case for prosecution.
The sheriff really needs to spend more time at his desk and the diner.
If you really want to piss off cops do their job for them , using only backbone and courage.
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By extension, government generally.
He defied an order from a law enforcement officer.
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Good for him.
The parents ought to make a very big public stink about the ‘rules’ baloney.
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If the matter goes to trial - actually I doubt the District Attorney will accept such a stupid case - just wait until the defense calls the girl to the stand.
I hope the rescuer sues the ineffectual sheriff personally.
Not the department - the sheriff himself.
An interesting site.
“Sheriff Krueger recently formed the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Team, to provide a high level response to the increasingly high risk calls that require more advanced law enforcement skills and training.”
“Sheriff Krueger currently works with a staff of some 70 employees, both civilian and law enforcement.”
“During the years as Sheriff, Sheriff Krueger formed a Chain Gang program through the Clear Creek County Jail.”
“Sheriff Krueger has implemented a crocheting program to allow inmates to make blankets for the elderly and families in need.”
“Sheriff Krueger has brought the Sheriff’s Office into the 21st Century by generating revenue through the Clear Creek County Jail, upgrading the Clear County Communications Center, implementing the Emergency Operation Center and actively pursuing grants to help fund projects which enable the county, his office and his deputies to be the best that they can be.”
“Sheriff Krueger is an active member of the following organizations:
...
Clear Creek Fire Authority
Swift Water Rescue Team
Mine Rescue Team
...”
Clearly a renaissance sheriff, even with the crochet.
LOL good one!
You'll fit in well when the Socialists/Marxists finally take over.
Let me see. The River guide was certified for swift water rescue, part of his job spec is rescuing his clients who fall in the water and he's going to defer to a LEO who may have learned all the theory but hasn't had the practice every day that a River guide has to say nothing of the problems his employer would have faced if this had gone fatally wrong.
A lot of what's wrong with this country is citizens expecting the Government to do everything for them instead of using their own initiative.
Just spoke to my daughter who was rafting on that river last weekend. She said the story makes no sense as the guides are there to rescue anyone who falls overboard or who swims off when the rafts overturn, which is quite a bit since the water is extremely high and rough due to snowmelt.
Hope she’ll have more info for me tomorrow.
Jackboots need someone to step on, so it’s best you don’t get in their way.
Sounds like someone’s pissed that they didn’t get to be a gloryhog.
“You want to find an outlaw, you call an outlaw. You want to find a Dunkin Donuts, you call a cop” - Raising Arizona.
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