LAKEWOOD, Colo. — A 38-year-old woman was swept away and killed during flash flooding in Lakewood on Saturday.
Jeannette Reynolds was identified as the victim on Monday morning. Her body was recovered on Sunday in an area that was previously under 10 feet of water, West Metro Fire said.
Reynolds was a transient living in the Lakewood area, according to a release from the Lakewood Police Department (LPD). An autopsy has been performed by the Jefferson County Coroner's Office, and an official cause of death is pending further studies.
Just before 5 p.m. Saturday, LPD agents responded to a report that a person had gone into the water along a ditch near 12th Street and Miller Place, which is not far from Sunset Park. A water rescue operation was initiated, but crews called off the search a few hours later when they were unable to locate anyone.
By Sunday morning, water in the area had receded, but rescue crews had to deal with thick vegetation surrounding the search area, according to West Metro. At about 11:30 a.m., Reynolds' body was recovered.
During the initial search, firefighters waded through chest-high water in an attempt to locate the woman. Crews searched along the Lakewood ditch, and then a ditch from Kipling to Garrison and back.
Crews also used a drone to search for the woman.
Drivers in metro Denver had to contend with flooded roads during the evening after a storm brought heavy rain to the area.
One woman was rescued by a passerby when floodwater began pouring into her car near Casa Bonita.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning just after 6 p.m., and it was in effect until 8:15 p.m.
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