Local man drowns in river near Aspen

ASPEN (AP) - Authorities say a Longmont man has drowned after jumping from a cliff into the Roaring Fork River east of Aspen.

The Pitkin County Sheriff's office says the Longmont man was in his 20s but his name is not being released until his relatives are notified.

Sheriff's deputy Tricia Louthis says it's likely the man drowned but an autopsy is pending to determine a cause of death.

Louthis says the man was with a group of friends when he jumped from a cliff about 20 feet above the river into a section known as the Punch Bowl in the Roaring Fork River on Sunday afternoon.

Louthis says some of the witnesses saw the man get sucked down by the water and that he surfaced occasionally for air. She says a friend of the victim tried to rescue him but he also experienced "whirlpool-like conditions."