High Snow Runoff and Limited Safety Measures Identified as Main Culprits
Trevor Phipps
Before the summer season officially arrived, Colorado officials warned the public of the growing dangers along state waterways that are used frequently by local recreation buffs who love such activities as boating, tubing and rafting.
Moreover, officials say if property safety measures are not employed during these outings, recreation-goers could easily face a deadly outcome.
Due to high levels of snowpack, water levels in rivers and reservoirs have reached record numbers making many waterways across Colorado a recipe for fatalities, according to recent reports.
Luckily, Teller County has only experienced one water-related death that happened last spring. On May 25, CPW and local authorities initiated a search for a missing fisherman only to find his vehicle, trailer, boat and life jacket left behind. On June 4, CPW issued a press release stating that the body of the missing fisherman from Canon City was found using a skilled underwater recovery team.
But this isn’t the story for nearby waterways, regarded by some authorities as a possible body of death unless users follow safe precautions.
In fact, this year drowning and other deaths associated with bodies of water started made headlines early in the season. By early June, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Division (CPW) had already reported 16 water-related deaths during the spring. This is half the state had recorded for the entire year in 2023.
And these soaring rate of fatalities on the Colorado waters is only getting worse.
The Colorado Sun recently reported that at least 32 people have died in the state’s rivers and reservoirs so far this year. The number is on track to surpass the record number of 42 water deaths the CPW tracked in 2022.
Recent Water Tragedies
Over the past couple of months, tragic water-related deaths have occurred on the Arkansas and South Platte Rivers which are the two major streams flowing the closest to Teller County, and are frequented by many locals. The most recent involved a tubing accident on the Arkansas River east of Florence.
At around 11 a.m. on July 13, CPW officials received a call that a man was receiving CPR on the side of the river. When first responders arrived, the man was declared deceased on the scene.
Further investigation showed that the man was traveling down the river in inner tubes in a group of seven people. The group got separated and the man fell of his tube. He was then found floating down the river by a fisherman who retrieved him and started administering CPR.
“No personal flotation device was observed on or near the victim at the time of the incident,” the CPW press release stated.
Another tragedy occurred on July 4th near the small town of Deckers, located about 20 miles north of Woodland Park. Jorge Ramirez-Flores, a 57-year-old resident of Aurora, was at the river celebrating the holiday. And that’s when he opted to walk and balance himself on top of rocks in the fast-flowing river.
Ramirez-Flores suddenly lost his balance, slipped and fell into the water. Relatives at the scene rushed towards him, but it was too late as the river’s current quickly swept him downstream.
A little later his body was then found about two miles down the river when people nearby saw his unresponsive body and pulled him out of the river. The bystanders try to resuscitate him but he was pronounced dead when authorities arrived.
CPW Officers Stress Using Safety Precautions and Staying Sober
Over the past month, CPW officials have issued several warnings about following life jacket laws and being safe while out on the water. The main message from state officials has been that people need to follow the law and wear personal flotation devices (PFDs) or life jackets since the majority of the water-related deaths this year occurred because people were not wearing flotation devices.
The CPW reminds those recreating in the state’s waters that PFDs are required when out on the water in any type of watercraft including kayaks, canoes and paddle boards. CPW officers statewide have been issuing a large number of tickets that cost over $100 for people violating life jacket laws.
“Through July 9, CPW has written 430 citations for PFD violations,” the Colorado Sun article reported. “For the same period in 2023 the agency issued 244 tickets. In all of 2023, CPW officers issued 497 tickets to PFD rule-breakers.”
According to the newspaper, the lack of PFD usage, or improper PFDs, has played a role in increased fatalities on the state waterways. As a result, the CPW did increase their number of life jacket loaner stations from previous years to 42 stations at 24 of its state park reservoirs and recreation areas.
Along with upping their enforcement on wearing PFDs while out on the water, the CPW has also recently launched their “Operation Dry Water” boating under the influence (BUI) enforcement campaign. Just before the Fourth of July holiday weekend, CPW officers stepped up their presence on state waterways specifically to keep an eye out for those who might be operating a boat while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
“Boating is a favorite pastime of Coloradans and visitors alike, but we want to make sure that everyone is enjoying their time on the water responsibly,” Flatwater Criminal Investigator Brian Phillips said in a CPW press release. “Alcohol use is one of the leading contributing factors in recreational boating deaths in the country. We encourage boaters to be boat smart, boat safe, and boat sober.”