Recovered
Dive crews searched hours for a man who was knocked off a sailboat at the Cherry Creek Reservoir, Wednesday evening.
The 62-year-old man was sailing with five other friends and was standing on the bow, adjusting the sail, according to Cherry Creek State Park rangers. A strong gust of wind came up and he was knocked into the water.
His friends said they saw him dog paddling but strong winds pushed their boat away from the man. When they finally were able to circle the sailboat to reach him, he had disappeared into the 57-degree water. He was not wearing a life vest, friends said. The accident happened off the north beach area at about 7:30 p.m.
Dive crews from West Metro, South Metro and Westminster were called to the reservoir and the search effort stretched into the night.
The man's body was located just before midnight with the aid of sonar equipment, according to South Metro Fire Rescue spokesman Andy Lyon. I was recovered in 20 feet of water, about 400 to 500 yards off shore.
The man has not been identified but is believed to be from the Denver area. An autopsy will be performed to confirm the cause of death.
Cherry Creek State Park rangers will conduct a boat accident investigation into the cause of the incident.
