A 20-year-old man from Dallas, Texas, died Friday afternoon while swimming at Lake Nighthorse, according to the Durango Police Department.
The man, Eric Granados-Barcenas, was swimming with three friends, La Plata County Coroner Jann Smith said. The men were jumping into the water from a high vantage point on the side of the lake, and Granados-Barcenas jumped into the water and “didn’t come up,” she said.
Durango Police Department officers, La Plata County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Durango Fire Protection District personnel and Axis Health System CORE team members responded to the incident at 3:34 p.m., according to a DPD news release.
According to the release, Granados-Barcenas became fatigued after swimming in the lake for about 30 to 40 minutes and was unable to make it back to shore. There was no indication that intoxication was a factor in the incident, authorities said.
The release said Granados-Barcenas was underwater for an “undetermined amount of time” before officers arrived on scene.
Authorities boarded someone’s boat to search for Granados-Barcenas and eventually located him beneath the surface, the release said. Granados-Barcenas was brought onto the boat about 3:46 p.m., and CPR was immediately initiated.
Lifesaving measures were continued at the dock by Durango Fire personnel and medics before Granados-Barcenas was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead, the release said.
Granados-Barcenas’ body was retrieved by the coroner’s office about 6:20 p.m., Smith said.
An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday, but the presumed and probable cause of death is drowning, she said.
A resident who requested anonymity said someone she knows – a child – called her, crying, as the incident was unfolding.
“It’ll affect her for the rest of her life, as it will for everybody who was there,” she said. “It sounds like there was a decent amount of people there all trying to do their best to help. ... It seemed like it was an incident of people having fun and underestimating the challenges of swimming in open water (and the impact) cold water can have on your ability.”
Lifeguards are on duty at the lake from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. beginning June 1.
The city of Durango Parks and Recreation Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday on which parts of the lake were open for swimming at the time of the incident or what guidelines may be in place for swimming before a lifeguard goes on duty for the season.
epond@durangoherald.com
This article has been updated to correct several inaccuracies shared with the Herald. The La Plata County Coroner’s Office said the man was 21 and from Mexico. Police reports said Granados-Barcenas was 20 and from Dallas, Texas. Additionally, Granados-Barcenas had been swimming with three friends, not two, according to authorities.
