HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS, Colo. — Crews searching for a man who went missing after taking an inflatable kayak onto the Colorado River found items belonging to him on Thursday.
Ari Harms, 35, was reported missing at 1:52 p.m. Monday by a host at the Pioneer Park campground in Hot Sulphur Springs. The host said there was a vehicle at the campsite that should have checked out already, the Grand County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
Other campers had seen Harms take a kayak into the Colorado River, and no one had seen him since.
On Thursday, crews found a backpack and other items belonging to Harms in the river, but there was no other sign of him.
Harms' friends said that Ari is much more than a press release. He is more than the photo circulating online.
"Ari is full of joy and can make anyone in the room smile, and when you’re around Ari you feel that joy," said Jamie Sieb, Ari's friend. "You can be the happiest person, but when Ari walks in a room he brings so much more happiness."
Sieb said they met Ari Harms about 8 years ago. They said he talked often about making the world better and more equitable.
"We had many conversations about accessibility and representation, and no matter where you came from everyone should be welcome," Sieb said. "Ari was very focused on making sure spaces he went into were very inclusive."
Harms' sister Madeline Harms said Ari was a great little brother with a lot of dreams and goals. She said he was the idealistic one in the family.
"They have these big idealistic goals, and they can avoid the cynicism," Madeline Harms said. "They just want the best for everybody and don’t tolerate injustice of any kind — they just want to make the world better for everyone."
Madeline Harms has a two-year-old daughter. She said her brother adored his niece.
"He had a really great connection to Esther," Madeline Harms said.
"Ester is, so far, like Ari in a lot of ways--she’s so happy and positive."
Ari Harms' sister also said he got a Master's degree so he could work in immigrant rights. He also love performing in drag shows, and was active in the LGBTQ+ community in Denver.
"He's always working on something to make the community better," Sieb said. "Ari is colorful and joyous and silly, intelligent, serious at times, but so much more than a sheriff’s report."
On Friday, crews were continuing to search the Byers Canyon section of the river and farther downstream. Drivers in the area were asked to be aware of searchers who might be close to Highway 40.
Crews are also utilizing several specialized water search dogs.
Flyers were being distributed locally. Anyone who sees Harms can call the non-emergency phone number for Grand County dispatch at 970-725-3311.
The Sheriff's Office said it also was grateful for requests from volunteers who want to help with the search; however, at this time they are not accepting any additional help.
"We appreciate these offers, however due to safety concerns we are only using our trained first responders and partner agencies for these searches," the Sheriff's Office said.
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