One man died and two other people were rescued when the boat they were riding in sank in Lake Pueblo Saturday, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
The small ski boat sank Saturday evening near the big Lizard Picnic Pavilion on the lake’s north side, about 50 yards offshore in about seven feet of water, according to an agency news release.
Two passengers were wearing life jackets when the boat sank and survived after being rescued by park rangers. A third passenger, a man who was wearing boots, pants and no life jacket, tried to swim to shore but was unable to.
Frantic witnesses tried to swim out to the man but couldn’t reach him in time, according to the news release. His body was recovered by the Pueblo County Sheriff’s volunteer dive team. The man has not been publicly identified.
The survivors told rangers that the boat began taking on water shortly after they left the marina. Authorities believe the weight of the water and the choppy waves on the lake swamped the boat, which was a “small ski boat,” according to the news release.
The man’s death is the first on the lake this year, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Across the state, 23 other people have died in water-related incidents this year, the agency said. Last year, 42 people died in such incidents, a record high.
Lake Pueblo is a reservoir inside Lake Pueblo State Park and sits to the west of the town of Pueblo.
