05-27-2011, 11:10 AM
DENVER - The search for a boater missing at Eleven Mile State Park in Park County will resume Thursday. On Wednesday, the land and water search started early in the morning and ended at about 2:45 p.m.
A capsized boat and the body of one boater were found Sunday, but an extensive daily search has failed to locate the second boater.<br />
David Kintz Jr., the Park County Coroner, has identified the drowning victim as Susan Christiansen of Colorado Springs and the family has been notified. Kintz said the cause of death was an accidental drowning. Kintz said Susan Christiansen had gone boating with her husband, Mitch Christiansen.<br />
The search effort will continue, but there will be no additional news releases until the situation changes.<br />
The Eleven Mile State Park staff, members of the State Parks' Public Safety and Training Unit, based in Littleton, the Hartsel Fire Department, the Park County Coroner and the Park County Sheriff's office have been assisting in the search.<br />
For information on boating safely in Colorado, please visit the boating webpage at www.parks.state.co.us/boating under Colorado Boating Safely. Regardless of where you decide to boat this summer, please do so safely and remember the big three of boat safety:<br />
"¢ Educate yourself through one of our boat safety classes.<br />
"¢ Wear your life jacket whenever you're onboard.<br />
"¢ Don't booze and boat. The life you save may be your own.<br />
The search is focused on the east side of the reservoir, near where the capsized boat was found. In that area of the reservoir, there are boulders and sheer drops in the water of up to 85 feet, which makes searching difficult. A boat from Eleven Mile State Park, equipped with sonar, has been searching the water along with a vessel, equipped with a specially designed and powerful sonar device, from the Public Safety and Training Unit.
A capsized boat and the body of one boater were found Sunday, but an extensive daily search has failed to locate the second boater.<br />
David Kintz Jr., the Park County Coroner, has identified the drowning victim as Susan Christiansen of Colorado Springs and the family has been notified. Kintz said the cause of death was an accidental drowning. Kintz said Susan Christiansen had gone boating with her husband, Mitch Christiansen.<br />
The search effort will continue, but there will be no additional news releases until the situation changes.<br />
The Eleven Mile State Park staff, members of the State Parks' Public Safety and Training Unit, based in Littleton, the Hartsel Fire Department, the Park County Coroner and the Park County Sheriff's office have been assisting in the search.<br />
For information on boating safely in Colorado, please visit the boating webpage at www.parks.state.co.us/boating under Colorado Boating Safely. Regardless of where you decide to boat this summer, please do so safely and remember the big three of boat safety:<br />
"¢ Educate yourself through one of our boat safety classes.<br />
"¢ Wear your life jacket whenever you're onboard.<br />
"¢ Don't booze and boat. The life you save may be your own.<br />
The search is focused on the east side of the reservoir, near where the capsized boat was found. In that area of the reservoir, there are boulders and sheer drops in the water of up to 85 feet, which makes searching difficult. A boat from Eleven Mile State Park, equipped with sonar, has been searching the water along with a vessel, equipped with a specially designed and powerful sonar device, from the Public Safety and Training Unit.