UPDATE: Person killed in boating incident at Lake Pueblo was a Colorado resident
The Pueblo County Coroner’s Office has identified a boater who went missing and was later found dead at Lake Pueblo State Park Friday night.
The boater, identified as 48-year-old Evans Downie, was found after an hours-long search in the lake. According to the coroner, Downie was from Howard, a small Colorado town in Fremont County.
According to officials from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, before 1 p.m., a 14-foot flatbottom fishing boat capsized near Pedro’s Point after being “swamped by whitecaps” on the south side of the lake.
One person who had been on the boat was able to swim 100 yards to shore, where he had another boater alert emergency responders, officials said. He was hospitalized while officers searched for the Downie in 40-foot-deep, 44-degree water with sonar. First responders, including a UCHealth Lifeline helicopter, aided in the first hour of the search.
The body of a dog was recovered first from underneath the overturned boat; shortly before 9:30 p.m., the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Maritime Emergency Response Team located and recovered Downie’s body, which was turned over to the Pueblo County Coroner’s Office. His cause of death is still under investigation, according to the coroner.
“Colorado Parks and Wildlife offers our condolences to the family and friends of the victim, and everyone involved in this tragic incident,” said Joe Stadterman, Lake Pueblo State Park manager.
CPW officials said in a news release that the boat was equipped with lifejackets, but they were not worn.
“CPW continues to encourages all park visitors participating in water recreation activities to always wear a life jacket.”
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story misstated when authorities recovered the body of the missing boater.





