Fishermen find man’s body clinging to cooler floating in Colorado reservoir, cops say
A pair of fishermen went to grab a cooler they saw floating in a Colorado reservoir and found a body that was clinging to it, deputies said.
The anglers had noticed the cooler floating in the water between 50 and 70 feet from the shore at Cherry Creek Reservoir around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“They went out in the water to grab the cooler and a deceased male who was clinging to the cooler rose to the surface,” the sheriff’s office said.
When the body surfaced, the men dragged it to shore and called for help, deputies said.
“It appeared the 65-year-old man was ice fishing and may have fallen through the ice,” deputies said.
Deputies said they don’t know how long the body might have been submerged.
South Metro Fire Rescue’s dive team provided “precautionary support,” the agency said on X.
What to do if you fall through ice
It’s never a guarantee that ice is safe to walk on.
You can’t judge the strength of ice by its appearance. Its strength also has to do with the water under the ice and the distribution of the load on the ice, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Even if every safety precaution is followed, sometimes the ice can begin to shatter. Here’s what to do if you find yourself plunging through ice:
Don’t take off your winter clothing. They’ll keep you warm and provide flotation.
Turn toward the direction you came.
Put your hands and arms on unbroken ice, and use available tools to try to pull yourself up.
Kick your feet and dig in.
Lie flat on the ice to keep your weight spread out. This will help prevent you from falling in again.
Get to a warm and dry place immediately.
