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1. Summit County Sheriff’s Office recovers drowned victim from Dillon Reservoir

The Summit County Sheriff’s Office recovered the body of a presumed drowned paddleboarder on Dillon Reservoir July 16.

At approximately 2 p.m. July 16, the Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call to the reservoir after a male adult had been blown off his paddleboard as a storm cell created a microburst over the reservoir. The microburst separated the male from his board and he was unable to keep his head above the water. According to a news release from the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, witnesses said that he had a personal flotation device strapped to the board, but he was not wearing it.

According to an earlier report, the individual was with a group of friends that came up from the Front Range to go paddleboarding. It stated the group saw the approaching storm and was heading back to the Dillon Marina when the weather suddenly came over them. The rain, winds and large waves created by the microburst separated the group.

— Eliza Noe

2. Dillon Reservoir drowning victim identified as 25-year-old Englewood man

The Summit County coroner identified the body recovered July 16 from the Dillon Reservoir as Miguel Mendez, 25, of Englewood.

He is presumed to have drowned, the Summit County Coroner’s Office said in a statement, but the office was still waiting on an autopsy for confirmation as of 2 p.m. July 18.

The death comes after the Summit County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call at the reservoir around 2 p.m. July 16. A microburst storm separated Mendez from his paddleboard.

According to a news release from the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, witnesses said that he had a personal flotation device strapped to the board, but he was not wearing it.

— Luke Vidic

3. Mountain towns, including in Summit County, experience a dip in business over the summer

This summer was predicted to be a summer of booming business. 

The pandemic isn’t as prevalent, and travel restrictions are lesser. However, Brian Jones, co-owner of Northside Pizza in Breckenridge, said he’s heard from other businesses that bookings have gone down. 

Destimetrics, a business intelligence branch of Inntopia that collects data from different vacation destinations, came out with numbers recently that show a decrease in business in 17 mountain destinations in seven western states. 

The report said the shortage is likely due to high inflation, rising interest rates and declining financial markets.

— Eili Wright

4. Voluntary fishing closures go into effect on Fraser, Colorado and Eagle rivers until further notice

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is asking anglers to voluntarily avoid fishing on the Fraser, Colorado, and Eagle rivers from noon until 11:59 p.m. daily until further notice.

Warm water temperatures have depleted oxygen levels and left fish vulnerable, causing fish to die in local waterways.

“When water temperatures exceed 70 degrees, fish often stop feeding and become more susceptible to disease,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife reported in a release issued July 14. “Warm temperatures and low water levels can also lead to algae blooms in rivers and reservoirs which cause oxygen levels to drop when algae die and decompose.”

— Vail Daily

5. Last 2 drownings on Dillon Reservoir share similarities related to afternoon storms, lifejacket use

The last two men to have lost their lives on Dillon Reservoir died under similar circumstances. Both men were separated from their vessels during afternoon storms, and both did not have their lifejackets on when crews recovered their bodies.

One death occurred in June 2020, and the other happened July 16.

The Summit County coroner identified the body recovered from the Dillon Reservoir July 16 as Miguel Mendez, 25, of Englewood. He is presumed to have drowned, according to the Summit County Coroner’s Office, but officials are still waiting on an autopsy for confirmation.

— Luke Vidic