Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials say the heat will be on for those recreating on the water this summer as the agency ups enforcement amid a wave of drownings and water-related deaths.
Still early in the summer season, Colorado Parks and Wildlife public information officer Rachel Gonzales said there have already been around 20 recreation-related water fatalities across the state so far this year.
“It’s not even the Fourth of July weekend yet, and we’re at almost 20 recreation-related water fatalities. That’s not okay,” Gonzales said. “We as an agency are stepping up patrol and enforcement.”
For the past couple years, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has kept an unofficial count of water-related deaths that occur in state parks or were reported to the agency. So far this year, water-related deaths are outpacing last year, when 32 people died throughout the summer season. This year is trending closely with 2022, when a record-breaking 42 people died while recreating in the water.