Chatfield Recovery

At 16:23 on July 7th, 2025 South Metro Fire Rescue and West Metro Fire Rescue was dispatched to the west side of Chatfield Reservoir at the swim beach for a water rescue. Dispatch reported that three people that fell from a paddleboard due to strong wings. Crews arrived on scene and started coordinating the response. District 3 arrived and setup on the north boat ramp coordinator and assisted with the launch of Dive 19, Dive 31, and West Metro Dive 2 and Boat 2.  The Colorado Parks and Wildlife deployed 4 boats in the water, including their MERT (Marine Evidence Recovery Team) boat. All eight boats worked together with sonar, divers and an underwater drone to locate the victim. After close to 2 hours, the effort shifted from rescue to recovery. The victim was located at approximately 19:15 and it was confirmed that the victim was not wearing a flotation device. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office will conduct a death investigation of the incident. Two of the other people on the board were safely rescued by civilians in a nearby boat. Additional information provided by South Metro Fire Rescue

Units on Scene:

South Metro: District Chief 1, Battalion 1, Safety 11, Med 1, Dive 31, Dive 19, Engine 16, Engine 39, Medic 16, Medic 31, Fleet Services & PIO 11

West Metro: District 3, SAM 2, Dive 2, Engine 8, Medic 8 & Medic 15

South Metro Fire Emergency Communications: IDT 2 & IDT 11

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office & Colorado Parks and Wildlife