ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — The body of a deceased ice fisherman was pulled from the Cherry Creek Reservoir on Tuesday afternoon.
Ginger Delgado, public information officer with the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office, said around 3:10 p.m. Tuesday, two fishermen came to the Cherry Creek Reservoir near the spillway.
"And as they were preparing to fish, they saw a cooler floating in the water, about 50 to 75 feet from shore," she said.
When they went to grab it, they pulled and saw a deceased man hanging onto the cooler, Delgado said. The fishermen were able to drag the body to shore and call state park rangers. First responders pulled ice fishing gear out of the water as well.
Delgado said as of 5 p.m. Tuesday, the sheriff's office believes the man was ice fishing on the water. It's not clear when he was fishing or what had happened that led to his death. He has only been identified as a 65-year-old man.
Delgado said it is too early to determine if anything criminal happened.
Cherry Creek State Park rangers and South Metro Fire Rescue dive team members also responded to the scene. Divers searched the water in case the man was not alone but did not find another body.
Kara Van Hoose with Colorado Parks and Wildlife added that this is a tricky time for ice fishing, especially with the cold water and warmer air. She said CPW recommends at least 4 inches of ice to go ice fishing. The ice on the reservoir is not thick enough, she added, and the warmer temperatures can shift the ice.
Earlier on Tuesday, CPW posted on social media about the thinning ice at Cherry Creek Reservoir and open water at the inlet.
To learn more about ice fishing safety, click here.
No other details were immediately available.
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