RAMPART RESERVOIR, Colo. (KOAA) — Colorado Parks and Wildlife says that a recent multi-agency rescue effort at Rampart Reservoir can be credited in part due to the victims' smart decision to wear life jackets on Sunday.
The Teller County Sheriff's Office, El Paso County Sheriff's Office, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and Colorado Springs Fire Department responded after a call for service regarding paddleboarders who had been knocked into the water at Rampart Reservoir.
Quickly changing weather conditions impacted the two adults and two teenagers as wind and whitecaps increased dramatically. Soon, the paddleboarders found themselves in water temperatures of 50 degrees and a water depth of 180 ft deep.
El Paso County Sheriff's Office Deputies were first on scene and were able to borrow a vessel in the area to help search for the paddleboarders. With the help of drone support, the deputies were able to locate the two adults in the water and learned the teenagers had safely made it to shore by swimming.
Search and rescue crews were able to link up safely with the teenagers on shore, and the search was terminated at 6:15 p.m. Sunday. The first calls for service came in around 2:50 p.m.
“The fact that these individuals chose to wear life jackets most certainly saved their lives,” said Tim Kroening, CPW Area Wildlife Manager. “The majority of water-related deaths in Colorado occur because people do not wear a life jacket. In the two days prior, our team made direct contact at Rampart Reservoir with more than 400 boaters, anglers, and others recreating there to ensure compliance with safety requirements and fishing licenses.”
CPW Officers do patrol Colorado's waters, and if found in violation of life jacket policies, boaters could receive up to a $500 fine. Watch our coverage below on some of the CPW Officers working to keep people safe.
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