A 28-year-old resident of El Jebel died on Saturday at Harvey Gap State Park north of Silt, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Kelvin Velis Rivera was with three friends paddleboarding on Grass Valley Reservoir in the park. According to CPW, there were high winds that made conditions on the water rough.
First responders received the call for help at 3:18 p.m. They confirmed that Rivera was not tethered to his paddle board, and hadn’t resurfaced from the water after falling in.
The agency brought in its Marine Evidence Recovery Team (MERT) to take over the search using a boat and a remote operated vehicle. At about 10 p.m., the team was able to recover the body at a depth of 43 feet.
Rivera’s death is being investigated by the Garfield County Coroner as a drowning, and the manner of death as an accident. Once a drowning is confirmed, the incident will bring Colorado’s number of water recreation-related drownings in 2024 to six.
The week before, another paddle boarder drowned in the county — at Rifle Gap State Park, north of Rifle.
According to the Garfield County Coroner, the incident took place on May 12. Diego Gutierez Caraveo, 26, a resident of New Castle, drowned while paddle boarding at Rifle Gap with his girlfriend. He also did not have a life jacket. The coroner is investigating the manner of death as an accident.
State officials are reminding everyone to check conditions before heading out, and that life jackets are required on all watercraft, including stand-up paddleboards.
