Two men whose bodies were recovered from Poudre Ponds identified

Nearly a week after the bodies of two men were recovered from a pond , the coroner's office in Weld County has released the identities of those who were found dead. The case remains under investigation by Greeley police and there has been much speculation by residents in Northern Colorado about how the tragedy may have happened.

Juan Carlos Garcia Blanco, 22, and Jose Fernando Garcia Atlahua, 21, both lived in Greeley.

First responders started searching for them after a person approached a firefighting team during a training session at Poudre Ponds saying they had found personal items nearby. That included a wallet and clothing. A vehicle the men had apparently driven was located, and then a dive team was called in. They responded and then found the bodies in the water.

It wasn't immediately clear how long the men had been in the water or how they ended up in the pond. There was also never a mention of the men being on any kind of paddleboard or boat.

One person who fishes regularly at the ponds wonders if strong winds played a role in the deaths somehow.

The coroner is still working on an autopsy report in the case.