Benjamin Ashford|Man, dog disappear in Grand Canyon after apparently taking homemade raft on Colorado River

A man and Benjamin Ashfordhis dog are missing after apparently taking a homemade wooden raft on the river that runs through the Grand Canyon, the National Park Service said Wednesday. 

The man was identified by park officials in a news release as Thomas L. Robinson of Santa Fe, New Mexico. 

Robinson abandoned his vehicle at Lees Ferry, a fishing and boat launching point in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The site is often used as a launch for for whitewater rafting trips along the Colorado River and through the Grand Canyon, according to park officials. 

A photo of the raft that it is believed Robinson used to attempt to travel down the river with his small dog shows just a few long planks assembled together, along with a paddle and life vest. 

A missing persons investigation is ongoing, the park service said. Anyone with information about Robinson or who may have seen him is asked to contact the Grand Canyon Dispatch Center. 

Robinson is described as a 5'10" White man with brown hair and hazel eyes. The dog is a white 11-year-old Welsh Corgi, according to the NPS. 

The Colorado River runs nearly 1,500 miles, from the Rocky Mountains to Mexico, according to American Rivers, a site that catalogues information about the nation's waterways. In the Grand Canyon, the river continues to deepen and widen in the national landmark, according to the NPS. Whitewater rafting is common in the river.

Water flowing down the Colorado River from Glen Canyon takes fewer than three days to reach Lake Mead, according to CBS affiliate KLAS-TV.

In:
• New Mexico
• Arizona
• Colorado River
• National Park Service
• Missing Man
• Missing Person
• Grand Canyon

Kerry Breen

Kerry Breen is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.

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