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An adult died while paddleboarding during high winds and large waves Saturday afternoon at Harvey Gap State Park north of Silt on the Western Slope, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Witnesses saw four people paddleboarding without life jackets at Grass Valley Reservoir on Saturday when wind speeds increased, according to a news release. One adult, who was not tethered to their paddleboard, was submerged and did not return to the surface.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Garfield County Sheriff’s officials confirmed there was a missing person in the reservoir when they responded to a 3:18 p.m. call for help. Wildlife officers searched the water with boats and sonar devices, according to the news release.
The Marine Evidence Recovery Team joined the search Saturday evening and at 10 p.m. found and recovered the person’s body with a submersible drone, the news release said.
There have been five other water-recreation related drownings so far this year, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, which reminds Coloradans that life jackets are required for all watercraft in Colorado, including hand-powered watercraft like paddleboards.
“This is a heartbreaking tragedy and we send our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of this victim,” said Brian Palcer, Harvey Gap State Park manager. “We continue to urge everyone to pay close attention to weather conditions and to wear life jackets when they are on or near the water so we can avoid future tragedies like today.”
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