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Body of Paddleboarder Recovered After Chatfield Reservoir Capsize

A multi-agency search used sonar with an underwater drone to locate him nearly three hours after a sudden wind gust capsized his paddleboard

Kayakers and paddleboaders float at Chatfield State Park in Littleton, Colorado on Tuesday, July 23, 2024. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)
The lights of an ambulance.  (Matthew Jonas/Staff Photographer)
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Overview

  • At about 4:25 p.m. Monday a gust of wind overturned a paddleboard carrying an unidentified man and his two children on Chatfield Reservoir
  • Nearby paddleboarders rescued the children but the father went missing and did not resurface
  • South Metro Fire Rescue, West Metro Fire Rescue, Colorado Parks and Wildlife rangers and the Marine Evidence Recovery Team conducted a sonar-assisted underwater search
  • Crews recovered the man’s body at 7:15 p.m. and the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office will release his identity as part of a death investigation
  • Colorado Parks and Wildlife is urging mandatory life jacket use, offering free loaner jackets at Chatfield State Park and warning visitors about sudden wind gusts