Wyoming news briefs for July 28

Posted 7/28/21

News from across Wyoming.

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Wyoming news briefs for July 28

Posted

Man killed in vehicle incident at Cheyenne Frontier Days grounds

CHEYENNE  A man was killed Tuesday morning in a vehicle incident at Frontier Park near Gate V12, according to the Cheyenne Police Department. 

Officers responded to the incident at approximately 9:30 a.m. to find a man with life-threatening injuries. The victim was transported by ambulance to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, where he was declared dead. 

The preliminary investigation shows the incident occurred when a male passenger was attempting to exit the bed of a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. The vehicle’s driver entered Gate V12 from Hynds Boulevard and slowed to a stop with the flow of traffic. 

As the vehicle was stopped, the male passenger began to exit the truck bed, lost his footing and fell to the ground. 

The driver proceeded forward with traffic, resulting in the passenger being run over by the truck. 

The driver remained on scene to assist officers with their investigation, according to a CPD news release.

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Game and Fish: Woman who died in Snake River incident was wearing device that did not inflate

JACKSON  Debra Jean Ayer-Harty, who died in a guided fishing incident on the Snake River last week, was wearing an inflatable personal floatation device that failed to inflate, officials from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department confirmed Tuesday.

Ayer-Harty and a relative, who was also wearing an inflatable PFD that did not inflate, were dumped into the river along with their fishing guide about 3 1/2 miles north of the South Park boat ramp when their drift boat hit an eddy line, tipped and took on water before overturning. Ayer-Harty’s relative, who has not been identified, and the guide were able to swim safely to shore. 

It isn’t yet known “whether the device failed or whether the individual was unable to inflate it,” said Game and Fish spokesman Mark Gocke.

“Inflatable PFDs, they’re approved by the Coast Guard and so they’re perfectly legal. However, I suppose to be safe, wearing a standard PFD might be a safer option,” he said. “That way you’re not relying on an inflating device that may or may not work.”

Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue determined that Ayer-Harty, a 65-year-old woman from Fairhope, Alabama, died of a “myocardial infarction,” the technical term for a heart attack, and ruled the manner of death “natural.”

“On autopsy she had no findings of drowning,” Dr. Blue said in an interview. “Now, would she have had a heart attack sitting on the side of the boat and not being dumped into the water? I can't answer that question.”

No charges are expected to be brought in what Teton County Sheriff Mark Carr said appears to have been a “tragic accident.”

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Crater Ridge fire expected to intensify amid warm, dry conditions

SHERIDAN — The U.S. Forest Service expected Crater Ridge fire behavior to intensify Tuesday, according to a release Tuesday morning, as it was forecast to be the warmest and driest day of the week.

From Monday to Tuesday morning, the fire grew by 39 acres to 641 acres, and the fire has been smoldering and creeping but, as fuels dry out, there is likelihood for more torching in the heavy timbered areas.

Located 30 miles east-northeast of Lovell on the Bighorn National Forest, the Crater Ridge fire started July 17 from suspected lightning. Crews totaling 228 people, engines, heavy equipment, helicopters and aerial supervision are working on suppressing the fire.

The Crater Ridge fire remains 0% contained and a full suppression fire. Strategically established indirect containment lines have been created and are being improved in anticipation of increased fire activity.

Both Type 1 helicopters continue to aid in firefighting operations by dropping water on the fire as it progresses into the Cub Creek drainage. More than 70,000 gallons of water was dropped Monday. Similar air operations are expected Tuesday.

As fire activity increases, crews are prepared to conduct firing operations, if needed, to burn out available fuels, removing them from the fire’s path to check the fire’s growth.

Track the fire on Facebook under Crater Ridge Fire or through the public hotline from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 406-647-0831.