Personnel from the Summit County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Section, including Summit County Sheriff’s Office Rangers search for missing paddle boarder who went missing Saturday afternoon.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: July 16, 2022
Contact: Christine Duplan, Public Information Officer
(970) 423-8901
Christine.Duplan@summitcountyco.gov
SUMMIT COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE SEARCHES FOR MISSING PADDLE BOARDER
SUMMIT COUNTY, CO – Saturday afternoon at approximately 2:00pm, Summit County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call on Dillon Reservoir of a paddle boarder that had been blown off his paddle board as a storm cell created a microburst over the lake. Witnesses reported that the male adult had a personal flotation device strapped to his board but was not wearing it. The microburst separated the male from his board and he was unable to keep his head above the water. This incident occurred between the Dillon Marina and the Roberts Tunnel shoreline. Personnel from the Summit County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Section, including Summit County Sheriff’s Office Rangers that were already on the lake, immediately responded and began a search of the last seen point on the water as well as the shoreline. The missing male, who is believed drowned, was with a group of friends that came up from the Front Range to go paddle boarding. The group saw the approaching storm and was heading back to the Dillon Marina when it suddenly came over them. The rain, winds and large waves created by the microburst, separated the group.
The Summit County Sheriff’s Office, Summit County Water Rescue Team, and Summit County Rescue Group will continue the search utilizing specialized equipment that includes side scanner sonar and an underwater drone. Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons has also requested assistance from Colorado State Parks. The Summit County Sheriff’s Office and Colorado State Parks often train together, have similar equipment, and often provide mutual aid to each other in situations like this.
Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons said, “This is a tragic event. I have complete confidence in the professionals conducting this operation and that our search we will be successful. I would ask that people be respectful and remain clear of the area being searched.”
This is an active search and there are no further details at this time.
###