A storm cell led to a pontoon boat taking on water on Colorado’s Dillon Reservoir last week, resulting in a difficult and hazardous response from Summit County Sheriff’s Deputies.
According to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, the storm cell caused 40-60mph winds with 4-foot waves, leading to the pontoon boat taking on water. Shortly after, dispatch provided an update to deputies revealing that the boat had flipped over.
Deputies were able to locate the boat which had not capsized and provided blankets to the children on board for warmth. All occupants were wearing personal flotation devices when the deputies arrived and the children were taken to the Dillon Marina for safety as the storm subsided.
Once deputies were able to return to the pontoon, a rescue boat from the Frisco Marina had made it to the scene and was working to transport the remaining adults who had been left on the boat. Nobody was injured and no further issues were reported.
Summit County Sheriff’s Deputies can and will issue citations for those failing to wear personal floatation devices (PFDs) when required. This past busy weekend, several citations were issued to stand-up paddleboard users found without PFDs.
A family of four, including two children, was cited, in addition to two individuals wearing ‘fake’ PFDs that clearly stated they would not prevent drowning. Others claimed they were unaware of the PFD requirement, while some had left their PFDs in their car. Make sure you’re aware of local PFD laws before heading out onto reservoirs, lakes, or other bodies of water to keep yourself safe and out of trouble.
