AURORA, Colo. — Cherry Creek Reservoir will reopen to boating at 6 a.m. Friday as crews continue their search for a 29-year-old man who went missing while tubing at the reservoir Saturday, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) said.
CPW said the man was on a tube being pulled by a boat when he became separated from the tube and went missing in the water on Saturday. CPW said he was not wearing a life jacket.
South Metro Fire Rescue said later Saturday evening that rescue efforts had been unsuccessful and the effort had turned into a recovery operation.
The reservoir was closed to boating while crews from multiple agencies searched for the man. CPW said while the reservoir is reopening, they will continue their search by using techniques not affected by lake traffic.
"During the six-day closure everyone involved maximized technology and personal resources to the fullest," CPW said in a release Thursday. "The reservoir bottom has been thoroughly searched with specialized equipment to the extent they were designed for. CPW will continue searching difficult areas with an underwater drone that is not impacted by lake traffic and will continue to search shorelines and utilize equipment on daily patrols."
CPW said they "will maintain an investigation into all possibilities regarding the report of the missing victim."
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call CPW’s Denver office at 303-291-7227.
CPW said this operation comes about a year after a kayaker drowned at the same reservoir. On May 2, 2021, a kayaker drowned near the east boat ramp after being flipped over in the water.
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