Body found in Lake Pueblo following all-night search

Body found after an all-night search

Rangers at Lake Pueblo State Park recovered a body around dawn Tuesday in about 40 feet of water after an all-night search that was triggered when an empty boat was found adrift in a cove on the north shore the previous afternoon.

The remains were immediately turned over to Pueblo County Coroner for identification and determination of a cause of death.

A search and rescue operation was initiated at 3:25 p.m. Monday, just minutes after three witnesses called 9-1-1 to report an empty boat was adrift in No Name Cove. The witnesses said they had seen the same boat about 20 minutes earlier piloted by an older man who was fishing alone.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff began searching on land and in the water. Severe weather interrupted rescue efforts until around 7 p.m. when they resumed and continued throughout the night.

Using sonar equipment, four Colorado Parks and Wildlife rangers searched in two boats until they made a discovery. The body was recovered using a CPW Remote Operated Vehicle, or ROV. The coroner was called to the scene and took possession of the body at 5:15 a.m.

“We offer our condolences to the family of this person,” said Monique Mullis, manager of Lake Pueblo State Park. “And I appreciate the efforts of our rangers who were determined to search until they made a rescue or recovery. Sadly, it ended in a recovery operation.”

The Pueblo County Search and Rescue team was alerted and on standby as the search progressed. But the team was never called out.

Mullis noted CPW rangers had just spent two days last week training at Lake Pueblo with the new ROV equipment.