A 25-year-old Durango woman was killed and another person was severely injured in a boating collision Saturday at Navajo State Park.
Law enforcement received a 911 call about 2:30 p.m. from one of the passengers saying a boat had crashed into an inner tube carrying three people near Windsurf Beach on the Colorado side of Navajo Lake.
Archuleta County Coroner Brad Hunt identified the inner tube passenger who was killed as Mikayla Wright.
An autopsy will be performed on Tuesday, Hunt said.
The inner tube was being pulled by another vessel, said Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesman John Livingston.
It was not immediately known if drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash; the crash remained under investigation on Sunday.
Another passenger on the inner tube was airlifted to Mercy Hospital with severe injuries and a third passenger was uninjured.
“Multiple 911 calls came in from other parties on the two vessels and were quickly relayed to our rangers,” said Park Ranger Mitchell Ramm, in a news release issued by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “The call came to us at 2:33 p.m., and I was on the scene shortly after and found the two victims. The Southern Ute Police Department also responded to help. We extend our sympathies to the families and friends of the victims.”
Names and ages of the other two people on the inner tube have not been released.
Marine investigators were examining the scene as of 8:30 p.m. Saturday. Ramm said the victims were wearing personal flotation devices.
The park remains open, including camps and marinas. After being closed for a short period, Windsurf Beach has also reopened. The scene of the crash has been temporarily closed to facilitate the investigation.
tbrown@durangoherald.com
A previous version of this story incorrectly reported the incident occurred at Navajo Lake State Park which is on the New Mexico side of the lake. The incident occurred at Navajo State Park which is on the Colorado side of the lake.
