MERINO, Colo. — A man died Tuesday afternoon in a drowning incident at Prewitt Reservoir near Merino, according to multiple agencies including Sterling Fire Department and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW).

Emergency responders were dispatched at 1:12 p.m. after witnesses reported a man went under the water and did not resurface. CPW said two men had been launching a boat onto the reservoir — one in the boat, the other on the dock. As the boat began to drift away, the man on the dock jumped in to swim toward it. Witnesses said he began to struggle and then went underwater.

The man in the boat jumped in to help but also began to struggle. He was eventually rescued by another nearby boat. CPW confirmed that neither man was wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident.

Dive teams from the Sterling Fire Department began searching near the man’s last known location using sonar and surface scans. Boats from Colorado Parks and Wildlife and fire rescue crews assisted in the search, while the Logan County Sheriff’s Office deployed drones for aerial surveillance.

At approximately 3:15 p.m., Sterling Fire Department divers recovered the swimmer’s body. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The identity of the deceased has not been publicly released.

“We send our condolences to the friends and family of the deceased,” the Sterling Fire Department said. “We are grateful for the assistance and efforts of the multiple agencies that responded.”

Responding units included the Sterling Fire Department, Merino Fire, Hillrose Fire, Logan and Washington County Sheriff’s Offices, Colorado State Patrol, and CPW. The drowning remains under investigation.