LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — A honor procession was held Friday for the park ranger who was found dead in the Horsetooth Reservoir on Aug. 21.
Larimer County Department of Natural Resources Ranger Brendan Unitt was reported missing on the evening of Aug. 20 and was pulled from the water around 3:30 a.m. the following day. The sheriff's office said the ranger disappeared after responding to a request for assistance from two people who were reported to be in distress following heavy wind gusts across the reservoir.
The Larimer County Coroner’s Office identified the ranger as Unitt, 27, of La Salle, and determined his cause of death was asphyxiation due to drowning and the manner of his death was an accident.
Glen Werth, the owner of the Inlet Bay Marina, said that his staff see the rangers — including Unitt — almost every day as they gas up for work. They are like family, he said. He called Unitt polite, hard-working and an all-around good person who “represented the county very well.”
The procession on Friday, which began at 12:45 p.m., will include emergency service vehicles, according to the Larimer County Department Natural Resources. The public was invited to show their support and pay their respects along the procession route.
From there, the procession continued to a private family service.
Unitt's family is accepting donations at P.O. Box 272253, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80527.
A live stream of the memorial service is pending. Check Larimer County's website for details.
