Search Continues for Drowning Victim at John Martin Reservoir

Officials are continuing their search for a missing person at John Martin Reservoir today, June 20, following a rafting mishap that occurred late Saturday afternoon near the trestle bridge.

Rick Stwalley, Director of Emergency Operations Management for Bent County, told the Prowers Journal a second dive team and water rescue dogs have been brought in from Pueblo to search for a missing person who, with another individual, went into the water from a four-person type raft around 5pm on Saturday. “It’s not exactly clear how this happened at this point,” said Stwalley, “We do know that a female and the man in the raft went into the water and went swimming in different directions from it.  Neither was wearing a life jacket.  She was found clinging to a tree in the water, but the man’s body has not yet been recovered,” he explained.  He said the reasons they left the raft are not clear at this point.

Names have not been released as this time as the search is continuing; said Stwalley, and boaters have been asked to stay clear on the effected area. Bent County Sheriff, David Encinias, said earlier that the search has involved members of his own department, Hasty/McClave Fire & Ambulance, Prowers County Sheriff’s Department and Fire & Ambulance, Las Animas Fire and Ambulance, Army Corps of Engineers and Division of Parks and Wildlife.

By Russ Baldwin