Child's body recovered from reservoir at state park southeast of Denver after hours long search
Colorado Parks and Wildlife recovered the body of a child from Cherry Creek Reservoir Saturday night after an hours long search that began when the child disappeared underwater near the swim beach at Cherry Creek State Park.
According to CPW, two children were on a float in the designated swim area around 4 p.m. when one of them got off in shallow water and walked back to shore. The other child on the float drifted farther from shore, and witnesses say they went under the water around 4:25 p.m.
A seasonal park ranger and several park visitors immediately entered the water in an attempt to rescue the child. South Metro Fire Rescue's dive team, which was conducting training exercises nearby, responded within minutes. Additional resources from multiple agencies, including West Metro Fire Rescue and specialized recovery teams, also joined the search.
Authorities said rescue crews focused on locating the child during the critical first 90 minutes of the operation, deploying rescue boats and shoreline personnel throughout the swim beach area. After those efforts were unsuccessful, the operation transitioned from rescue to recovery.
At approximately 10:20 p.m., Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Marine Evidence Recovery Team located and recovered the child's body from the reservoir.
CPW confirmed neither child was wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident.
The Arapahoe County Coroner's Office will release the child's identity and age.
Investigators said family members were present at the beach when the incident occurred. Authorities have not released additional details about the circumstances leading up to the drowning.
Officials also addressed reports from witnesses describing an altercation on the beach following the incident but declined to comment, referring those questions to the sheriff's office.
CPW reminds people of the dangers of open-water recreation in Colorado, noting that cold water, limited visibility, and underwater currents can complicate rescue efforts.
"Life jackets save lives. That's going to be your best case scenario. If you go in the water, you're not expecting the water to be cold because it's 90 degrees outside, but that water could be 67 degrees, and that can shock your system," said Kara Van Hoose with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. "And even if you're a great, really strong swimmer, that's difficult."
Cherry Creek State Park is expected to resume normal operations on Sunday.
This is the third report of a water rescue operation along the Front Range this week in which a child fell into the water or was swept away and drowned. On Tuesday, a 4-year-old was killed when they were swept away in St. Vrain Creek.
A toddler also died on Tuesday after falling into an irrigation ditch in Northern Colorado. Emergency responders said the toddler's death is a tragic reminder of how dangerous the water is, particularly when peak water flows are being recorded.
