Larimer County Dedicates Day To Honor Fallen Boat Ranger, Brendan Unitt
LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - Larimer County dedicated Oct. 20 as "Brendan Unitt Day" in honor of a Larimer County Natural Resources Boat Ranger who died in August. Unitt responded to a distress call at Horsetood Reservoir when he drowned trying to save someone.
There were strong winds at the time of the call.
Other rangers reported hearing broken radio traffic believed to be from Unitt, but he never came back on the air to respond to the emergency.
"The most likely scenario we believe is Unitt was quickly returning to his patrol boat, when he realized those winds blew his boat off the shore. He likely took off his flotation device because he knew if he got in the water with it, it would auto inflate, disabling him from working to retrieve his boat," explained Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith.
The Board of County Commissioners also announced the start of the Brendan Unitt Community Service Award which recognizes employees who demonstrate selflessness, honor and dedication to the community.
Unitt was honored posthumously. His mother, Kathrerine McAneny, accepted the award.
