Camper’s body found in ‘murky’ Colorado pond after he vanished while cliff jumping
A four-day search ended Thursday night after Colorado wildlife officials discovered a missing camper’s body in a pond.
Divers found the body “deep in a pond” behind a dam in Two Buttes Reservoir State Wildlife Area, located in southeast Colorado, according to a news release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials.
The “murky” pond made it difficult for divers to locate the body because visibility was low, the release said.
Other campers reported the man missing Sunday night after the group had been cliff jumping into the Black Hole pond, wildlife officials said.
Officials said they found the missing man’s SUV, keys, wallet and phone on Monday.
The discovery prompted search and rescue efforts that evening. Crews covered the 8,533-acre wildlife area on foot looking for him.
Wildlife officials then searched for the man’s body in the water on a boat with a sonar device. The water is 30-feet deep.
His body was found by a submersible drone.
The Baca County Coroner’s Office has not determined the cause of death or identified the body, the release states.
But a 27-year-old man named Eben Bartholomew was reported missing in the same area on Monday to the Baca County Sheriff’s Office, according to a Facebook post.
The missing person post said Bartholomew was last seen around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday. Officials closed the Two Buttes Reservoir State Wildlife Area until further notice.
“This is a tragedy and we offer our condolences to the family and friends of the victim,” said Todd Marriott, CPW Area Wildlife Manager for the Lamar region. “Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for people to be injured jumping from the cliffs into the Black Hole. And it’s another sad example why we urge everyone to wear life jackets when in or near the water.”
This story was originally published September 3, 2021 at 5:53 PM with the headline "Camper’s body found in ‘murky’ Colorado pond after he vanished while cliff jumping."
