The body found in Boulder Reservoir has been identified by the Boulder County Coroner’s Office as 46-year-old Mark M. Heffron.
Around 6:25 a.m. Wednesday morning, the body of a white male was discovered in Boulder Reservoir, according to the Boulder Police Department’s blotter.
“We responded out to the reservoir at around 6:20 a.m. this morning,” said Sarah Huntley, Boulder Police Department Public Information Officer. “A coach with the CU rowing team was out there for practice and saw a body floating in the reservoir.”
Huntley said that when the EMT’s arrived they were able to walk out onto the dock and pull the body ashore from there.
Heffron was announced dead on the scene.
According to a Boulder County Coroner’s Office news release, an autopsy is scheduled for today and no foul play is suspected.
Alexis Bridenbaugh, a 19-year-old sophomore broadcast news and film major, said she has been a member of the CU women’s crew team since last semester and that she and her teammates were “freaked out” at this morning’s finding.
“We were getting ready to put our boats in the water to start practice,” Bridenbaugh said. “Our coach told us something happened and not to worry. During practice I saw firemen and ambulances, we didn’t find out until after.”
Bridenbaugh said she was happy she didn’t see the body herself.
“I was scared when we found out,” she said. “It was really weird and gross. I’m glad we didn’t see it.”
Chris Atkinson, a 20-year-old freshman pre-journalism major and member of the male crew team, said he saw an ambulance, a couple fire trucks and people standing by a boat during practice.
“I didn’t even hear the coach say it,” Atkinson said. “It’s a little disturbing to think we were rowing in that water.”
Bridenbaugh said that despite the awful circumstances under which practice began this morning, the crew team is still practicing tomorrow.
“We will definitely have practice tomorrow,” she said. “If the reservoir is open, we’ll practice.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Sarah Simmons at Sarah.e.simmons@colorado.edu. and CU Independent Opinion Editor Ellie Bean at Beanee@colorado.edu.
