COLORADO PARKS & WILDLIFE

Grand Junction, Colo. - Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers recovered the body of a suspected drowning victim from Corn Lake on Sunday, September 11. 

Around 8 p.m. on Saturday, September 10, CPW park rangers responded to a report of a person who had fallen off their paddle board into the water and had not resurfaced at the Corn Lake section of James M. Robb - Colorado River State Park in Clifton. The victim was reportedly not wearing a life jacket.

CPW rangers and Mesa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) deputies responded to the scene to find a paddle board floating in the lake and began the search for a missing person in the water. Based on the information provided by witnesses and the length of the time the victim was missing in the water, park rangers and MCSO deputies shifted their efforts from a search-and-rescue to a recovery operation.

CPW’s Marine Evidence Recovery Team (MERT) arrived on scene around 10 p.m. and began to search with its boat using side imaging sonar. Around 2 a.m. on Sunday, September 11, members with MERT and Mesa County Search and Rescue located the body in an area of the lake approximately 7.5 feet in depth. Using a remote operated vehicle (ROV) equipped with sonar, lights, and video, the victim's body was recovered and brought back to the surface. 

The body has been turned over to the Mesa County Coroner to determine the identity of the victim and the cause of death.

We would like to thank our partners at Mesa County Sheriff's Office and Mesa County Search and Rescue for their assistance.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife reminds everyone that life jackets are required for all watercraft in Colorado, including paddle boards and other hand-powered watercraft. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of having and wearing a life jacket while recreating in any body of water.