Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials say the heat will be on for those recreating on the water this summer as the agency ups enforcement amid a wave of drownings and water-related deaths.
Still early in the summer season, Colorado Parks and Wildlife public information officer Rachel Gonzales said there have already been around 20 recreation-related water fatalities across the state so far this year.
“It’s not even the Fourth of July weekend yet, and we’re at almost 20 recreation-related water fatalities. That’s not okay,” Gonzales said. “We as an agency are stepping up patrol and enforcement.”
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For the past couple years, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has kept an unofficial count of water-related deaths that occur in state parks or were reported to the agency. So far this year, water-related deaths are outpacing last year, when 32 people died throughout the summer season. This year is trending closely with 2022, when a record-breaking 42 people died while recreating in the water.