A boating accident in Colorado has left one person dead, one missing, and almost a dozen hospitalized, authorities say.
According to local parks officials, the group’s boat capsized on Lake Pueblo on Sunday evening, tossing all 13 of its passengers – including eight children – into the frigid water.
“At about 7:30 pm, @COParksWildlife Rangers responded to a call for help for an overturned boat with 13 victims in the 60-degree water,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) tweeted on Monday. “Rangers rescued 8 juveniles and 3 adults and recovered 1 body. CPW Search & Rescue team is seeking a 5th adult.”
CPW says the body of the deceased victim – an adult woman, according to KRDO – was taken to Pueblo County Coroner, which will work to identify her and determine her cause of death.
Meanwhile, CPW is searching through the deep waters of Lake Pueblo for the adult who is still missing.
“It is 80-90 feet of water and we expect it to be a difficult search,” Travis Duncan, a representative for CPW, told KKTV.
All 11 of the remaining passengers, including the eight children, were taken to local hospitals.
“The water here is 60 degrees, so it’s very cold, so we’re getting them checked out for hypothermia,” Mr Duncan told the news station. “We did have one child who went on a Flight for Life tonight, so [we’re] just concerned about that and continuing to check in on that.”
The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but officials told KRDO they believe high winds overturned the boat.
As CPW continues to search for the missing passenger – a process that requires calm water – officials have repeatedly asked other boaters to avoid the area.
“We’re requesting that boaters avoid the middle channel of Lake Pueblo between North Marina and Rock Creek Cove,” Lake Pueblo State Park Manager Joe Stadterman said in a statement. “Search and rescue efforts are underway and boaters are reminded to give space to our patrol boats and search vessels.”
