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18-year-old dies after being pulled from Yampa River in Craig

Noelle Leavitt Riley
Trystan Campbell, 18, is pictured with his mother April Chavira-Montieth. Campbell passed away Saturday after being found unresponsive in the Yampa River in Craig late Friday afternoon.
Courtesy Photo

The 18-year-old who was pulled from the Yampa River on Friday passed away Saturday, according to Moffat County Sheriff’s Office.

Trystan Campbell, 18, of Craig, was taken to The Memorial Hospital and later flown to Denver when first responders found him unresponsive after removing him from the Yampa River late Friday.

Campbell’s mother, April Chavira-Montieth, worked part-time at the Elk Run Inn since 2008, said Cindy Looper, who co-owns the motel. Looper set up a Go Fund MeGo Fund Me page to help pay for medical and funeral costs. page to help pay for medical and funeral costs.

Go Fund Me page to help pay for medical and funeral costs.



“I just wanted to give people an opportunity to help, something that’s tangible. I just know that they’re struggling to get by, and it’s going to be expensive between the flight to Denver and the effort to save him,” Looper said, noting that she believes Campbell was flown from TMH to University Hospital in Denver.

Looper said that Chavira-Montieth is originally from Hayden. Campbell and had three other siblings, and Campbell was the oldest.



“She’s a hard working mother. She loves her kids. She’s had struggles in the past that she’s overcome. She’s just trying to do what’s best for her kids and her family,” Looper said.

Emergency officials arrived at the Yampa River on Friday after receiving a call from an individual at the boat launch in Loudy-Simpson Park. A “hasty search” was initiated in the area, Hume said.

Campbell was located approximately three-quarters of a mile down river from the launch and unresponsive, Hume said. It is unknown where he entered the river.

“Patient care and life-saving efforts were initiated immediately upon locating the victim,” Moffat County Sheriff KC Hume said.

Jennifer Riley, chief of marketing and business development for TMH, said the patient arrived at the hospital and was transported to another facility.

Hume said his office is investigating the incident.

Responding agencies include Moffat County Sheriff’s Office, Craig Fire/Rescue, Craig Police Department, The Memorial Hospital Emergency Medical Services and Bureau of Land Management.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, flows on the Yampa near Craig were at 949 cubic feet per second and gage height was slightly less than three feet at 3 p.m. on Friday.

Hume said the river is at recreational levels.


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