Garfield County sees two drownings in 6 days
Two people have drowned in state parks within Garfield County in the span of six days, according to a news release from the Garfield County Coroner’s office.
The first incident occurred May 12, when 26-year-old New Castle resident Diego Gutierrez Caraveo was reported missing while paddleboarding at Rifle Gap State Park.
Law enforcement and his family disclosed that the decedent had been paddleboarding with his girlfriend on Rifle Gap Reservoir, according to the release. Neither were wearing a personal flotation device (PFD), and the decedent did not have a paddleboard leash to keep the board near him.
“The decedent’s girlfriend reported that he was using marijuana prior to paddleboarding. She also reported that a strong wind gust knocked them off their paddleboards, and they fell into the water. The decedent was unable to get to his board and after several minutes, she lost sight of him,” the release states.
Gutierrez Caraveo was recovered 43 feet from the bottom of the Rifle Gap Reservoir by the Summit County Sheriff’s Office Water Rescue Team and members of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), and the manner of death is being investigated as an accident, according to the release.
The second incident occurred on Saturday at Harvey Gap State Park, where another man was reported missing while paddleboarding with friends during high winds.
The man, later identified as 28-year-old El Jebel resident Kelvin Velis Rivera, was not wearing a leash attaching him to the paddleboard. In addition, neither he nor his friends were wearing PFDs. Witnesses said a total of four paddleboarders were caught in high winds, according to a Monday news release from CPW.
“The decedent had reportedly consumed some beer prior to paddleboarding. The friends reported that the conditions became windy, and the paddleboarders fell off the paddleboard. The decedent disappeared under the water shortly after,” the coroner’s office release states.
CPW officers and Garfield County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call for help at 3:18 p.m., using two boats and sonar devices to scan the water. CPW’s Marine Evidence Recovery Team continued the search into the evening.
The recovery team recovered Rivera’s body from the bottom of Grass Valley Reservoir around 10 p.m., according to CPW. The manner of death is being investigated as an accident, according to the coroner’s office.
“This is a heartbreaking tragedy, and we send our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of this victim,” Harvey Gap State Park Manager Brian Palcer said in CPW’s news release. “We continue to urge everyone to pay close attention to weather conditions and to wear life jackets when they are on or near the water, so we can avoid future tragedies like today.”
In total for 2024, Colorado has recorded five water recreation-related fatalities, according to CPW. If Saturday’s death is confirmed to be a drowning, it would make six recreation-related drownings.
“Colorado Parks and Wildlife reminds everyone that life jackets are required for all watercraft in Colorado, including paddleboards and other hand-powered watercraft. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of having and wearing a life jacket while recreating in any body of water,” the release states.
