Officials identify body in river

A 35-year-old man was found dead Friday in the Roaring Fork River near Carbondale. On Friday afternoon, a fisherman found the man, identified as Phillip Garth Wimmer, 35, of North Carolina, near the Highway 133 bridge that crosses the Roaring Fork. Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario said a preliminary autopsy showed Wimmer died from drowning and he said there were no obvious signs of trauma or foul play.”We believe he was hanging around with transients,” Vallario said. After Wimmer was found near the riverbank, Garfield County sheriff’s deputies called on the Carbondale Swiftwater Rescue Team to remove the body from the water. Vallario urged people to be cautious when going near the county’s many rivers, saying alcohol and cold water can contribute to a drowning”The rivers are pretty dangerous,” he said. Contact Greg Massé: 945-8515, ext. 511gmasse@postindependent.com