Woman survives icy plunge

OURAY — A motorist caught a lucky break Monday morning when other drivers spotted her car in the San Miguel River and helped her get out.

Ouray County Sheriff Dominic “Junior” Mattivi said a vehicle was south on Highway 550 just a few miles outside of Ouray, when it hit slush or ice that shot off onto the shoulder. The female driver then overcorrected, crossed the highway and rolled at least once before landing, driver’s side-first, into the river. The river was 2 to 3 feet deep where the car went in.

“Fortunately, a state plow driver was able to see the vehicle,” Mattivi said. “She flagged down another motorists and they went down and got her (driver) out of her vehicle.”

Mattivi did not provide the woman’s name or make of vehicle; the Colorado State Patrol report was not immediately available Monday.

Mattivi said that when authorities arrived, she was being assisted up the embankment. He wasn’t immediately certain whether she was injured, but said she was taken into an ambulance and was “pretty cold.”

Ouray initially paged out its swift-water rescue team, which stood down when advised the victim was out of the river. Highway 550 was closed while a wrecker removed the car from the river, Mattivi said.