Two deaths on Eleven Mile Reservoir within two weeks have prompted the Park County Sheriff’s Office to remind the community that proper safety measures could mean life and death when on the water.
On Friday, authorities responded to a water rescue at 3:40pm for two people who had fallen off a paddle board they were sharing. When first responders arrived, they were able to find one of the victims, who was saved by a bystander, and brought to shore. A 28-year-old man’s body was pulled from the water about seven hours later.
In a Facebook post, Park County Sheriff’s Offices asked people at the reservoirs to follow seven rules: Wear a life jacket, stay sober, respect the weather and the water, know your limitations, keep an eye on one another, and have a proven method of calling for help.
In Friday’s incident, the two paddleboarders were sharing at least one life jacket on the single paddleboard. Neither man was wearing a life jacket, however. The post also stated that alcohol use and weather conditions may have played a role in the accident.
The accident is still under investigation. Alcohol and weather are suspected factors in this incident.
On August 6, Colorado Parks and Wildlife recovered a man who had drowned while kayaking during high winds. In both incidents, innocent bystanders put their own lives at risk trying to help.
