GRAND COUNTY, Colo. — Crews searching for a 21-year-old man who went underwater while kayaking on Lake Granby Sunday morning have recovered his body, the Grand County Sheriff's Office said.
On Monday, the weather allowed searchers to return to the area where the man went missing under the water – around 7:30 p.m. responders found the man underwater after using an "underwater remote operated vehicle (ROV) to remove him from the lake," said the sheriff's office.
According to an update on the search from the sheriff's office, the man was not wearing a "personal flotation device." The man's family, who arrived from out-of-state Monday were notified of his death.
The Grand County Coroner's Office will release the identity of them man along with identifying the cause and manner of his death.
Deputies said the kayaker and his friend had spent the night on Deer Island and were kayaking back to the shore Sunday. As they tried to paddle across the open water, the wind caused the man's kayak to capsize, and he fell into the lake. His friend was unable to save him before he went underwater, the sheriff's office said. The friend was able to get himself back to shore, and called 911 around 6:45 a.m.
"While responding to the area, responders experienced massive snow fall, blowing and drifting conditions and zero or near-zero visibility," the sheriff's office said in a news release.
Rescuers from multiple agencies searched for the man Sunday, but the heavy winds and choppy water made it difficult, the sheriff's office said. Search operations were suspended around 2 p.m. Sunday.
“Unfortunately, over the last several years, Grand County has experienced a significant number of water related emergencies and recoveries," Grand County Sheriff Brett Schroetlin said. The formation of the Headwaters Water Rescue Authority, encompasses law enforcement, fire and EMS personnel who plan and prepare for these operations and then immediately respond to these incidents to bring closure to the family.”
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