In Brief: Boyd announces candidacy for Eagle County commissioner; man with head injury airlifted from Snowmass Lakes area
Courtesy photo
Tom Boyd of Edwards announced on Thursday he was running for the District 2 seat on the Eagle County Board of County Commissioners currently held by Kathy Chandler-Henry, who has said she will not seek re-election in 2024.
“I was fortunate to grow up in a community where everyone around me lent a hand, volunteered and willingly contributed to every aspect of life in our valley with a ‘can-do’ spirit that was unrivaled,” he said of being raised in West Vail. “This is the mentality that has always inspired me to take action to contribute to this exceptional community in whatever way possible.”
A graduate of Vail Mountain School in 1993, upon graduation from the University of Colorado, he returned to the Eagle River Valley and began a career of weighing in on the key issues that shaped the community around him as a journalist, newspaper editor, columnist and non-profit board member. He now lives in Edwards with his wife, Renee, and two sons, Tyler, 11, and Alex, 9. He currently serves as director of public relations and communications at the non-profit Vail Valley Foundation and has been in that role since 2015.
“I was witness to my parents’ passion for the outdoors and for working hard to maintain home ownership, quality schools, library systems, respect for the environment and community sustainability,” Boyd said. “My career in Vail has taken me on a listening and storytelling path. I want to work alongside fellow leadership to continue to enhance opportunities in these areas for all.”
Beyond his time as a journalist and media specialist, he has served as a coach, a volunteer, an outdoor ice rink builder, a board member, a spokesperson and a strategist.
“I have learned so much from the steady and smart leadership by Kathy Chandler-Henry for more than a decade; the current livelihoods and future of Eagle County are better off because of her excellent work – especially in the challenging areas of water conservation, transportation, equity, and housing,” he says. “Eagle County will continue to need evenhanded leadership and thoughtful decision-making as we face key issues that are at the forefront of our community right now. I look forward to ongoing conversations with voters and what they would like to see out of their next commissioner.”
Wendy Rimel, also a lifelong local who currently lives in Edwards, will serve as Boyd’s campaign manager. She identified Boyd’s ability to build partnerships.
“The county has an important leadership role bringing together all residents of Eagle County, educators, emergency service providers, businesses, non-profits and fellow elected municipal leaders and appointed officials,” she said. “I’ve always known Tom to believe that solutions must be equitable and must apply to everyone, no matter their race, culture, sexual preference, or place of origin. Tom will work well alongside his fellow commissioners and staff as they tackle all of our important issues and priorities together.”
Learn more about Tom at tomboydforeaglecounty.com.
Man with head injury airlifted from Snowmass Lakes area
A 61-year-old man with a serious head injury was rescued on Wednesday afternoon from the Snowmass Lake area, the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office reported.
Pitkin County Regional Emergency Dispatch Center received an alert around 3:15 p.m. through the SOS button on Garmin inReach with the man’s group. By 4 p.m., deputies and members of Mountain Rescue Aspen were communicating them.
Care Flight and the High Altitude Aviation Training Site (HAATS) were deployed due to the complexity of the location of the injured party, according to dispatch. A HAATS helicopter brought the injured man at 7 p.m. to the Aspen/ Pitkin County Airport, and he was flown to Saint Mary’s Medical Center in Grand Junction to treat his injuries.
By 8 p.m., all the rescuers had returned safely from the field.
Searchers find body of man missing in river since Sunday
The body of a man from Mexico who went missing in the Colorado River on Sunday afternoon was recovered on Wednesday by rescuers after several days of intensive searches, the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office reported.
On Sunday, first responders were called to a river rescue on the Colorado River, off Colorado River Road at the Cottonwood Boat Ramp around 4 p.m. Responders received a report of 10-15 people in the river trying to help someone out of the water.
One male was pulled from the water, resuscitated and transferred to a hospital. A second individual was carried further downstream.
A full rescue operation was immediately deployed for a male last seen wearing blue shorts, shoe and no shirt. Teams from across the region manned boats and kayaks to scour the banks of the Colorado River. Specialized water rescue teams working alongside scent dog teams aided in additional water search operations. Technology including an aerial drone and sonar equipment was also used.
On Wednesday around 11:45 a.m., responders were called to the Colorado River Road near Lyons Gulch to recover a body matching the description of the missing man.
The Eagle County Coroner’s Office has confirmed the identity of the man to be Isaac Montaño Rivera, 32, from Chihuahua, Mexico.
