Body Found In South Platte River, Rescue Crews: 'Busy Year For Us'
DENVER (CBS4)- Police in Denver conducted a death investigation after a body was found in the South Platte River on Saturday morning. It's one of several swift water rescue calls Denver Firefighters have responded to this year.
Officers were called to the scene at 5151 Franklin Street just before 9 a.m. for a possible water rescue that quickly turned into a recovery.
The victim has not been identified. His cause of death is under investigation.
It was the 76th swift water rescue for Denver Fire so far this year making it the busiest year on record for the department.
"It feels like once a week we're getting called out for rescue or recovery so it's been a busy year for us," said Denver Fire Lt. Ken Inglee.
The Denver Fire Department has had double the number of calls of water rescues this year in part because of an extremely rainy spring and early summer. That precipitation has led to some of the highest water levels in decades and rushing rivers.
Inglee has been on the Swift Water Rescue Team for a decade. He said Denver Fire typically averages 32 calls a year and they've already more than doubled that. And it's only July.
"Anywhere from experienced kayakers down the South Platte River as well as parents who let young toddlers wade out into the water," said Inglee. "If you fall into the water, within minutes you can be a mile downstream."
The danger is statewide. Rafters and kayakers, tubers and fishermen have drown on waterways across Colorado over the past couple of months.
Inglee said even those experienced around water can get into trouble fast.
"We've had several close calls this year with our own Swift Water Rescue Team members," said Inglee. "Even with our life jackets, equipment, fins and helmets it's still very dangerous."
Despite the warm temperatures, there is still a lot of snow in the mountains that will melt this summer.
"The weather now is just starting to get warm, there is still snowpack in the mountains, we're still letting water out of 11 Mile Reservoir so our water levels are going to be high for a while," said Inglee.
The Denver Fire Department is urging people to stay out of all waterways despite the ban that was lifted on tubing and kayaking in Boulder and Jefferson Counties.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife tracks the number of deaths involving boaters, rafters and kayakers. Last year there were 17 which was a new record. This year there have been 15 with several weeks of summer left.
