COLORADO PARKS & WILDLIFE

June 16, 2024

CPW Rangers, Pueblo Sheriff’s divers recover body after swimmer reported missing at Lake Pueblo State Park

PUEBLO, Colo. – A team of Colorado Parks and Wildlife park rangers and Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office divers recovered a body in water 6 feet deep late Saturday night after a swimmer was reported missing off the north shore of Lake Pueblo State Park.

A call for help came in around 8:15 p.m., prompting CPW rangers to initiate an immediate search using a sonar device and an underwater remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, equipped with lights and a camera.

Volunteer divers from the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office were called in to assist, launching off the Sailboard Beach area west of the dam where witnesses said the swimmer went missing.

The rangers and divers conducted a grid search and dove on several objects over the next three hours. Finally, around 11 p.m, divers located the body about 75 feet from shore in water about 6 feet deep.

The body was recovered by the team and turned over to the Pueblo County Coroner for identification, notification of relatives and an official determination of the cause of death.

Lake Pueblo State Park Manager Joe Stadterman offered condolences to the victim’s family and friends.

“They have our deepest sympathies,” Stadterman said. “We hate seeing a life lost so tragically.

“This is another sad example of the importance of wearing life jackets when you are in or even near the water.”

According to CPW’s unofficial tally, this is the 19th water-related death in Colorado in 2024. There were 32 water-related recreation deaths in Colorado in 2023. The record for water-related deaths is 42 in 2022.

CPW will have no further comment on this incident.