Angler strapped into boat for safety drowns when boat flips, CO rangers say
An angler drowned when the fishing boat they were strapped into for safety flipped over on a frigid Colorado lake, officials said.
Rangers at Steamboat Lake State Park responded to a report of an overturned watercraft just after 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 3, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a news release.
“When park rangers arrived on scene, they saw a small U-shaped inflatable float tube used for fishing, often called a ‘bellyboat,’ turned upside down in the water, with no signs of anyone nearby,” officials said.
Then rangers found the angler submerged under the overturned float tube, their body attached to a seat on the top of the boat by a safety strap, officials said. Rangers pulled the angler out of the water and pronounced them dead.
They weren’t wearing a life jacket, officials said. The Routt County coroner will determine the angler’s identity and official cause of death.
Park rangers are investigating the death, officials said. “Steady winds with strong gusts were reported at the time of the incident,” and witnesses said they saw the angler “fishing near the Rainbow Ridge day-use area on the west side of the park.”
“The incident yesterday is tragic, and we extend our deepest sympathies to the victim’s family and friends,” David Goff, a ranger at the park, said in the release. “We continue to urge everyone to pay close attention to weather conditions and to wear a (personal floatation device) while recreating on the water.”
That’s especially important during spring and early summer, when “water recreation can be dangerous due to frigid water temperatures and rapidly changing weather conditions,” officials said.
“While the weather is warming up, the water remains very cold,” officials said. “When a person enters cold water, they can quickly experience cold water shock, losing the ability to swim, and face the risk of hypothermia.”
Steamboat Lake State Park is in northern Colorado, about a 180-mile drive northwest from Denver.
This story was originally published May 5, 2025 at 11:36 AM with the headline "Angler strapped into boat for safety drowns when boat flips, CO rangers say."
