Man arrested for rescuing drowning girl

Raft guide arrested after helping stranded rafter on Clear Creek

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."

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OK. I can understand the rescuers on the scene telling someone who has no experience in swift water rescue to stay out of the water. You don't want to have multiple victims. But this guy is trained in that type of thing. He is a river guide there.

This girl had been in the water for 30-45 minutes already. She had swam a half a mile in the current before she was seen. The rafting company had been looking for her.
The police said it had been too long since she disappeared, and was no longer their rescue. The girl was in site. She was obvious close to shore. Had I been on the scene, I might have strongly discouraged him for going in the swift water, but why arrest him? he saved the girls life.

It would have taken 20-30 more minutes probably to get the equipment set up. She was already probably very tired by then. His boss backed him up and they both said they would do it again. Arresting a hero is just not good PR. I guess they wanted all the glory for themselves.....

Uggh disgusting. They are worried about liability or something I guess. Sorry but I would have done the same. I am not one to wait for government assistance though.

reply to post by ventian

Yeah. This wasn't a shot in the dark. They could see her. She had swam and been in the water 30-45 minutes. The guild is trained in swift water rescue.

I can't see how anyone in his situation wouldn't have done the same thing. Maybe if he were an out of shape fat guy, you might not want him jumping in, but a trained river guide who is in good shape and is used to being in that water...let him go.

They could still have covered their butts by telling him not to go. If he still went and rescued her..kick him in the butt when he came out if they wanted to, but then congratulate him for a good rescue. You just don't arrest someone who saved a 13 year old's like because he took away the county's glory.

I just don't see how a jury would ever find him guilty for this. It is absurd.

CITIZENS ARREST !!!!
CITIZENS ARREST !!!!
I'd like to arrest that Sheriff
for being a stupid SOB.

Sure seem to be hearing many more of these types of situations happening lately..
Authorities are saying more and more that no one else is allowed to interact with their fellow human beings...

Like Katrina when people were turned away and not allowed to give things to homeless victims..or lend a hand ; Only the government could give them "approved" items...

This is definitely like 1984 the movie, just like people have been saying here for a while now..

Wow.

That's like someone getting a ticket for jumping off a bridge after jumping in and saving someone drowning.

Oh wait, that is pretty much what happened here!

Originally posted by boondock-saint
CITIZENS ARREST !!!!
CITIZENS ARREST !!!!
I'd like to arrest that Sheriff
for being a stupid SOB.

I'll second that! idiots idiots idiots! I would love to see how they prove in court that saving the girls life somehow obstructed thier rescue operation. Not the brightest bulbs in that department yeah wait till the PR starts hitting the news about how thier operation was death sentence for the girl... Sigh!

waht a twisted coutnry this is turning into. its becoming illgal to save someone else life* how human we are afterall, and to think of globalization after news like this

What a joke.

What happens if the girl had've drowned because Snodgrass had decided to sit back and let the "pros" do the rescuing? Would he have been arrested because he didn't exercise duty of care??

He should ask for a jury trial.

Then see if they can find 12 people that will side with the cops.

Good luck. All it would take is 1 to dead lock the jury

Whatever this Sheriff can prove with "obstruction of government operations", the arrest of this American hero is a clear cut case of obstruction of justice. Obstruction of justice is a serious crime, and the man who saved this girl and was subsequently arrested for his heroic deed should undoubtedly file a verified complaint against the Sheriff for obstruction of justice and ensure that thug is prosecuted to the full extent of the law. No one is above the law, and certainly not LEO's who took an oath to uphold the law.

Originally posted by boondock-saint
CITIZENS ARREST !!!!
CITIZENS ARREST !!!!
I'd like to arrest that Sheriff
for being a stupid SOB.

I agree typical hillbilly that sheriff was to the hero.

Stupidity knows no bounds.. The guy should be commended for saving her life..
When did Barney Fife become Sheriff there ?

time and time again this sort of nonsence spews out from that corner of the earth ,

if feel sorry for you guys ,

I'm not surprised at all. It's nothing to do with covering their rear ends, it has more to do with protecting their job.

As long as the guy was fit, capable & more than qualified to do the rescue then the Sheriff should of backed off after the event. Once the Sheriff realized that the man was experienced, he should have let it go. Nope, they're more interested in standing their ground and putting people down instead of using common sense.

That type of attitude shown by the Sheriff is what causes people to not get involved helping people and it also stops people from calling for police assistance, knowing they're going to get some power hungry jerk-off who wants to arrest everyone who doesn't yield to his ego.

I remember a few years back there was a similar dispute in Seattle between the Fire Department rescue divers & the Police rescue divers. The cops tried to push around the Fire Department in order to preserve their division and public funding even though they ware always 10 minutes later on the scene.

[edit on 13-6-2010 by verylowfrequency]

Seriously? WTF? How can you arrest a hero.
I understand, if he was an untrained passerby... but he was a fully trained river raft guide! He knew exactly what he was doing because HE WAS TRAINED! It was probably INSTINCT for him to act so SELFLESSLY!
The cops got there too late and just needed a reason to make themselves look useful. Stoopid Bacons.

I hope the Sheriff drowns in a river.

"Help, I'm drowning!"
"Sorry, we can't help you, we might get arrested."

Everyone needs to write Clear County Sheriff's Department and let them know how disgusting this is! This guy is a hero and to be treated this way is not acceptable!

Clear Creek County Sheriff

Call us at: (303) 679-2376




This is wrong and should not be tolerated!

Sorry, My last post just didn't get across how utterly disgusted I am at the LEO's involved here.. What Happened to common sense in this day and age? It has left us all for good I am afraid!!

I sent the sheriff and email to let him know what I think of their actions.

They are public Servants - not leaders, bosses or superiors. Maybe if enough people remind them of how the world sees them they'll reconsider their position.

Clear Creek County Sheriff Contact page