National Park Service Searching for Missing Man Who May Have Gone Down Colorado River in ‘Self Made Raft’
The man was reported missing after park sheriffs found his car, a 2001 Toyota Tacoma, abandoned at Lee’s Ferry in the Glen Canyon National Recreation area
The National Park Service
Thomas Lee Robison; Robinson's homemade raftA man who may have attempted to navigate the Colorado River alongside his dog in a homemade raft has gone missing, according to National Park authorities.
The National Park Service announced on Wednesday, April 24 that it is “conducting a missing person search” at Grand Canyon National Park to find New Mexico native Thomas Lee Robison, 58.
Park sheriffs located Robison's car, a champagne 2001 Toyota Tacoma, abandoned at Lee’s Ferry in the Glen National Recreation area on Sunday, April 21. A map from KLAS-TV showed that Lee’s Ferry is located along the Colorado River and below Glen Canyon Dam.
The National Park Service said it “believed” that Robison entered the Colorado River and “attempted” to "go down" it with his dog, a Welsh Corgi, on a “self made raft” before he disappeared.
The National Park Service
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Authorities provided a photo of the self-made raft made out of three wooden planks — in various shades and with etchings — tied together with some multi-colored rope. A paddle and an orange life jacket were also pictured alongside the raft.
They also provided photos of Robison, who sported a gray beard in a pair of photos with his corgi, who had a mixture of light brown and white fur.
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Robison is described as having brown hair and hazel eyes, with a height of 5’10 and a weight of 160 lbs. Park authorities also described his dog, who is 11 years old and weighs 25 lbs.
“Anyone who may have seen Thomas Robison are asked to contact Grand Canyon Dispatch at 928-638-7805,” the National Park Service said in a press release. “A missing person investigation is on-going and no further information is available at this time.”
The Colorado River leads down to Lake Mead, and it takes about three days to reach Lake Mead if following the currents along the river, according to KLAS-TV.
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The National Service Park outlines several ways people can safely sail down the Colorado River with different experiences on its website and permits are needed for many of them.
One-day commercial river trips for the public to raft down the Colorado River from Glen Canyon Dam to Lees Ferry are provided by Glen Canyon Rafting Hospitality, LLC, according to the National Service Park. Individuals may also purchase a permit for two to five-day noncommercial trips on motorized or nonmotorized rafts that launch from Diamond Creek and end at Lake Mead.
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