Colorado Parks and Wildlife said the child went under near the state park swim beach Saturday afternoon.
AURORA, CO — A child’s body was recovered from Cherry Creek Reservoir late Saturday after the child drifted into deeper water on a float and disappeared near the swim beach at Cherry Creek State Park, officials said.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife said the June 6 drowning drew a large response from park rangers, South Metro Fire Rescue, West Metro Fire Rescue, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office and specialized recovery crews. The child’s identity and age had not been released Sunday. Officials said the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office will handle those details.
Witnesses told Colorado Parks and Wildlife that two children were on a float near the designated swim area around 4 p.m. Saturday. One child got off the float in shallow water and walked back to shore. The other child remained on the float as it moved farther into the reservoir. Around 4:25 p.m., witnesses saw the child go under the water, officials said. A seasonal park ranger and several visitors entered the reservoir right away to try to reach the child.
South Metro Fire Rescue’s dive team was already conducting water rescue training in another part of Cherry Creek State Park and responded within minutes. Colorado Parks and Wildlife said divers were searching near the swim beach within about five minutes. Rescue crews used boats, shoreline teams, sonar equipment and divers during the search. Officials focused first on the rescue effort, then moved to recovery after the first critical part of the search ended without finding the child.
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Marine Evidence Recovery Team found and recovered the child’s body at about 10:20 p.m., officials said. Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Kara Van Hoose said the response lasted more than six hours. “Life jackets save lives,” Van Hoose said during a briefing, noting that water conditions can change quickly even on hot days. Officials said neither child on the float was wearing a life jacket when the incident happened.
Family members were at the beach when the child went missing, officials said. Authorities had not released more details about the moments before the child entered deeper water. Officials also did not say Sunday whether any criminal investigation was underway. Reports of an altercation on the beach after the incident were referred to the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife did not provide further comment on that matter.
Cherry Creek State Park sits in Aurora and is one of the Denver metro area’s busiest outdoor recreation areas. The park covers more than 4,200 acres and includes an 880-acre reservoir used for swimming, boating, fishing and other water activities. The park’s swim beach draws families during warm weather, and officials said the Saturday drowning was the first reported drowning at the state park this summer season.
The death came during a deadly week for children in Colorado waterways. Local officials reported two other child deaths in separate water incidents Tuesday, one involving a 4-year-old swept away in St. Vrain Creek and another involving a toddler who fell into an irrigation ditch in Northern Colorado. Authorities said the Cherry Creek Reservoir case remains under review as the coroner’s office works to confirm the child’s identity and age.
Cherry Creek State Park was expected to resume normal operations Sunday after the search ended. The next formal update is expected from the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office when the child’s identity and age are released.
Author note: Last updated June 8, 2026.