'We need people to really pay attention': Jeffco Sheriff's Office pleads with public to be safe on Clear Creek

Jefferson County officials urge people to be safe on the water after two people have died while tubing on Clear Creek in the last four days. On Wednesday, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office confirmed a man died a day after he was rescued following a tubing accident. 

It's the second death this month in the same area of the creek west of Golden. 

"You need to take this canyon and this river extremely seriously," said Mary Ann Bonnell, a Park Ranger and the Director of Visitor's Services for Jefferson County Open Space.

As the summer sun beat down in Golden, the Clear Creek White Water Park was the place to be Wednesday.  

Among the crowd was Ella Phillips, who decided to spend her 15th birthday on the water. But, despite having a new tube, the trip downstream wasn't so smooth.  

"Very cold, very fast," Phillips said. "We spun a lot more this time than we have in the past."  

While the park is open to tubers, Clear Creek west of town remains closed off due to dangerous conditions. Rangers said that includes a combination of rapids, frigid water, and countless hazards.  

"If you don't know the stream, don't run it," Bonnell said.  

Over the past week, rangers report that hasn't been happening.

On Saturday, a woman died while tubing near tunnel one. Four days later, another man died after he and three other tubers were rescued the day before.  

"The incidents that happened over the weekend are unfortunate, and they are the result of people probably getting in over their head and making decisions about a stream they don't know anything about," Bonnell said.  

According to Bonnell, rental companies are now giving safety talks to customers, and signs along the creek clearly show where tubing is prohibited.  

Over the weekend, rangers also turned away more than 50 people and issued one citation.  

"All of the arrows were very clear as to where we needed to get off," Phillips said.  

While Phillips and her family found it easy to follow the rules, officials say not everyone is doing the same.  

"We can only sign so much," Bonnell said. "We need people to really pay attention and also understand their limits."  

Life jackets are not required on the creek, but officials urge people tubing to wear them, along with a helmet and water shoes. They also urge people to check the creek's safety status ahead of time.