CPW recovers missing boater at Spinney Mountain
Kara Van Hoose
April 14, 2025
CPW recovers missing boater at Spinney Mountain
LAKE GEORGE, Colo. — Colorado Parks and Wildlife recovered the body of a missing boater at Spinney Mountain State Park Monday afternoon. The adult boater was recovered by the CPW Marine Evidence Recovery Team (MERT) with assistance from the Park County Sheriff’s Office, Summit County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Springs Fire Department Heavy Rescue-Dive Team, Hartsel Fire and the South Park Ambulance District. Difficult weather conditions, strong winds and dense vegetation made the three-day search challenging for the agencies involved.
Park rangers responded to an overturned canoe with two people in the reservoir around 11:50 a.m. Saturday. One person was rescued by a nearby boat. While life jackets were found in the boat, it does not appear the victim was wearing a life jacket.
The Park County Coroner will release the boater’s identity. Spinney Mountain will resume normal operations Tuesday.
Spring and early summer water recreation can be dangerous due to frigid water temperatures. Always wear a life jacket while boating, kayaking, paddle boarding and enjoying water recreation in Colorado. Spinney Reservoir can experience sudden wind gusts and frigid temperatures year-round, so be sure to check the weather forecast before visiting the area.
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Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 43 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, management of fishing and hunting, wildlife watching, camping, motorized and non-motorized trails, boating and outdoor education. CPW's work contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.
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