Two people were found dead inside a tent in a Fort Collins tunnel early Monday morning, police said.
Fort Collins police officers and Poudre Fire Authority crews responded at about 3:30 a.m. Monday to a drainage tunnel that goes under College Avenue, according to a news release from Fort Collins police officials.
Dispatchers said a woman went to check on a friend who was staying inside the tunnel but found him dead inside his tent with another person.
Investigators believe the two people inside the tent entered the tunnel by crawling under safety gates at the opening, according to the release.
“Our city is committed to safeguarding the public, which is why safety barriers and access restrictions like the ones at the tunnel are in place,” said Kristy Volesky, Fort Collins Police Services assistant chief of special operations, in the release. “We are sorry for the loss of these two and urge everyone to respect these barriers, remembering that there are shelter resources available throughout the city — there is no need to risk your safety by seeking outdoor shelter in the winter elements.”
One lane of southbound College Avenue was closed between Swallow Road and Monroe Drive for about four hours on Monday while emergency crews worked to get the two bodies out of the tunnel, police said. The road was fully reopened by 9 a.m.
The two victims will be identified by the Larimer County Coroner’s Office.
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