LOVELAND, Colo. — Investigators are working to determine what caused the driver of an RV to crash into the Big Thompson River west of Loveland Saturday afternoon.
No one was injured in the crash, which happened around 2 p.m. Saturday on U.S. 34 in Big Thompson Canyon. The driver, who was the only person in the RV, was able to get out on his own.
Loveland Fire Rescue Authority said the RV went about 75 feet down an embankment and into the river.
"This is kind of a new one for me. I have not seen an RV of that size in the river," Battalion Chief Kevin Hessler said.
Firefighters were initially dispatched to a swift water rescue in the canyon.
"I feel like he just pretty much drove down there, by the looks of it, because the damage to the RV was pretty much on the underside of the RV," Hessler said.
The driver was able to get out and onto the riverbank safely. Luckily, he wasn't hurt.
But crews still needed to figure out how to get the RV back on dry land.
"When first seeing it, I was surprised that it was a pretty good distance down there," Hessler said. “The trickiest part was just due to the location. We were in a tight curve, but how steep the grade was getting down there, for one, and then, our water levels in the river right now are definitely higher than they typically are. So we utilized swift water rescue personnel to be able to get in the water and assist the tow operations to get the vehicle out.”
It took about three hours for crews to get the RV from the river to the roadway.
The Colorado State Patrol said it wasn't immediately clear why the camper ended up in the river. Troopers are investigating the cause of the crash, and they said the RV's driver is cooperating with the investigation.
Hessler said while it's rare, it does happen that sometimes a car or truck will go off the road, though that's typically due to bad weather.
"The biggest thing while traveling up our canyon is just to pay attention to the road. It is a beautiful drive up the canyon and you still need to pay attention to the driving," Hessler said.
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