Emergency workers searched up and down the La Plata River on Thursday for someone who possibly fell in and needed saving.
According to scanner traffic, multiple agencies participated in the search, which started about 10:40 a.m., with a staging area at Hesperus Baptist Camp, just south of U.S. Highway 160 at Hesperus.
Crews were called off the search about 11:55 a.m. based on the lack of confirmation that anyone was in danger, said Butch Knowlton, director of emergency preparedness for La Plata County.
The search was set off by a resident who thought she heard someone in the river, said Ben Thorsheim, assistant chief of the Fort Lewis Mesa Protection District.
In addition to searching the river by foot, rescue workers called Mesa Verde Helitack to fly a helicopter up and down the river in search of possible victims, Thorsheim said.
The La Plata County Sheriff’s Office visited houses in the area to make sure no one was missing.
“This was an unfounded call as far as we can tell,” Thorsheim said.
shane@durangoherald.com
