Body recovered from Colorado River

The Eagle County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday issued the following press release about the recovery of a body from the Colorado River near Dotsero:

On Sunday, August 1, 2021, first responders were called to the Colorado River outside of Dotsero for a report of a male, who was swimming with friends, went underwater and did not surface.  The call was received around 3:45 p.m. and a full rescue operation was immediately called to the Colorado River about 6 miles north of Dotsero. In a cooperative effort, several partner agencies did locate a male several miles downstream.  Responders were able to safely recover the male from the river who was not responsive to CPR efforts.

The unidentified male was not wearing a PFD (personal floatation device) and was reported to not be a very good swimmer, who was struggling to keep afloat and clinging onto friends.  

The Eagle County Sheriff’s Office wants to urgently remind the community and our river enthusiasts to stay safe and wear proper floatation devices when playing in and near the river at all times. 

This summer’s recent flash flooding and fluctuating river levels are creating dangerous conditions. Current river conditions and turbidity can be fatal with heavy debris and fluctuating high water concerns.  It is important to be prepared, alert, and familiar with proper safety equipment and how to rescue yourself and others. 

If a river user’s life becomes in danger, please call 911 immediately and do not put another’s life at risk to rescue when first responders are trained and equipped for these incidents.  

Agencies involved in locating and retrieval of the male included the Gypsum Fire Protection District, Vail Mountain Rescue Group, Eagle County Paramedics, Eagle County Sheriff’s Office, Eagle County Coroner’s Office, and the Vail Public Safety Communications Center.

Ongoing efforts to positively identify the body, notify family and determine a cause of death are being led by the Eagle County Coroner’s Office.