8 rescued at Chatfield Reservoir

Eight people and two dogs were rescued at Chatfield Reservoir Thursday night after strong winds left them stranded in the water.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) said at around 7:30 p.m. Thursday, South Metro Fire Rescue was called out to Chatfield Reservoir to rescue four paddleboarders who were caught in the cottonwood trees.

While they were performing that rescue, another call came in for the rescue of two other paddleboarders and two dogs who were stranded on the water.

Two people on a private boat rescued those two paddleboarders and their dogs, but the boat capsized. A CPW ranger rescued those four people and the two dogs.

None of the eight people were wearing life jackets, according to CPW.

CPW spokesperson Kara Van Hoose said people should consider the conditions and put on a life jacket before venturing out onto the water.

"When you have water conditions what they are, things can really change on a dime in a Colorado summer. But you should expect that you're going to see afternoon storms and huge wind gusts," she said. "We have signs up at the entrance stations for Chatfield saying severe weather expected, wear a life jacket. And those really aren't suggestions at this point. It could be the difference between life or death."

For more on this story, and others, visit The Denver Gazette's news partner, 9News