A trip onto Lake Pueblo turned tragic Friday when a small fishing boat flipped near Pedro’s Point, leaving one man dead, another alive after a strenuous swim to shore, and a dog discovered trapped beneath the overturned hull.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife said 911 calls about the capsized boat started coming in at 12:48 p.m. According to the agency, one of the boat’s occupants managed to swim roughly 100 yards to shore, where he flagged down a passing civilian vessel. That boater called 911 and headed toward the south marina, where CPW officers were already en route with a sonar-equipped patrol boat.
Search and recovery
As daylight faded, the CPW Maritime Emergency Response Team kept working the water, deploying an underwater remotely operated vehicle to scour the lake bottom. The missing boater was located at about 9:23 p.m., according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Both the recovered body and the dog found underneath the capsized craft were turned over to local authorities, including the Pueblo County Coroner.
Boat details and safety
CPW reported that the vessel was a 14-foot flat-bottom fishing boat powered by a 6-horsepower outboard motor and a trolling motor. Officials said whitecaps on the lake swamped the small craft. Life jackets were on board, but neither person was wearing one at the time.
In its public statement, Colorado Parks and Wildlife urged everyone heading out on Colorado waters to put life jackets on before they leave shore, stressing that properly worn vests help keep a person’s airway clear and significantly improve the odds of survival if someone is knocked unconscious.
"Colorado Parks and Wildlife offers our condolences to the family and friends of the victim, and everyone involved in this tragic incident," Lake Pueblo State Park manager Joe Stadterman said in a statement to the Denver Gazette. CPW and local partners are continuing to review the circumstances surrounding the capsize.
