Emergency personnel have been unable to locate the body of a 21-year-old man who flipped a kayak Saturday at Vallecito Reservoir and is presumed to have drowned.
The man’s name has not been released. A body had not been recovered as of Tuesday morning, and the Colorado Parks and Wildlife marine evidence recovery team continued to search throughout the day.
The Upper Pine River Fire Protection District, La Plata County Search and Rescue, and Flight For Life responded to a call at 4 p.m. Saturday, according to a news release, which reported that two people had flipped a kayak and were still in the water.
Nearby boaters were able to rescue one of the passengers, but the other, who was not wearing a life jacket, had submerged underwater. The rescued boater has not been identified other than as a 23-year-old man who was best friends with the victim.
The two kayakers were reportedly new to the area from Manhattan, Kansas.
Emergency personnel conducted an “extensive search of the area” into Saturday evening. Seven boats searched in a grid pattern, and crews probed the water with poles and grappling hooks in the hopes of locating the victim. A Flight For Life helicopter made passes overhead to try and visually locate the victim, and an Upper Pine fire district drone searched using infrared technology to search for heat signatures.
After 80 minutes, the goal transitioned from rescue to recovery. A diver from the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office also searched the 54-degree water until dusk.
A spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office said it was unknown whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the kayak overturning.
“Both reservoirs – Lemon and Vallecito – the water is cold, and while you might think you're a good swimmer and you're OK with all that, when you get dumped in icy cold water like that, it can be disorienting,” warned Upper Pine Fire Chief Bruce Evans. “The few seconds that it takes to get your bearings or level your head sometimes can make the difference between life and death.”
Dive teams continued to search the murky water Sunday. The CPW team of six takes turns working in shifts on a boat equipped with a sonar device that delivers detailed data outputs. The boat drives at 3 mph in search of any human-sized object.
rschafir@durangoherald.com
