Authorities recover two bodies, rescue 11 after boat capsizes on Lake Pueblo Sunday

Lake Pueblo
Courtesy Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Lake Pueblo

A search and rescue team has discovered the remains of a second person who drowned after a boat they were on capsized due to high winds on Lake Pueblo in Southern Colorado on Sunday.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife said divers recovered the person’s remains early Tuesday morning after an all-night search. Another person who died in the incident, an adult woman, was recovered from the water Sunday night, according to CPW. 

“This is a tragic loss of life,” said Joe Stadterman, Lake Pueblo State Park manager, in a press release. “And it underscores the importance of being extremely careful around the water.” 

CPW rangers first responded to an emergency call of a capsized boat near the park’s north picnic area around 7:37 p.m. on Sunday, according to the release.

Rangers rescued eight juveniles and three adults from the water. The survivors were taken to nearby hospitals for treatments of hypothermia and other injuries, the release said. 

The first body recovered from the water was then turned over to the Pueblo County Coroner. Rangers then launched a search for one missing adult. 

CPW’s search and rescue team used sonar to try to locate the person, shutting down a section of the lake over the Memorial Day holiday to make room for divers. High winds paused the search several times throughout the day. 

At 5:45 a.m. on Tuesday, divers located the remains of the second person at the bottom of the lakebed. 

Stadterman, in the release, offered condolences to the friends and families of the people who had died while warning the public of the dangers of high winds on the lake. 

“If you are on or even near the water, we strongly urge you to wear a life jacket,” he said. 

If a drowning is confirmed by the coroner as the cause of death, it would be the eighth drowning in Colorado in 2022, according to CPW. 

In 2020, the state had its highest number of people who drowned, 34. Another 22 drowned in 2021.