Body pulled from Platte River

By Alan Gathright, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published June 25, 2008 at 7:58 a.m.
Updated June 25, 2008 at 7:52 p.m.

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Brian Lehmann © The Rocky

Bikers are turned away from using the bike path where a police scene developed this morning. A passerby found a body in the South Platte River at 15th and Little Raven near Commons Park.

Video: Police spokesman Sonny Jackson's briefing on body found in South Platte River Watch »

Denver firefighters pulled a body from the South Platte River near 16th Street this morning.

The discovery of the body was reported shortly before 7:30 a.m.

"I was walking across the bridge on my way to work and I just happened to see the body down in the water and I called 911," Stan Patton told the Rocky.

Patton said the victim was a white male in his 40s or 50s. As he walked across the bridge near Commons Park West, he said he "almost walked past it. But I looked back and said, 'Damn, that's a dead body.'

"I had to ask a woman walking by, 'Am I seeing things right?'"

He said the river's current had lodged the body on its side against a rock.

"He might have been even getting in the water to cool off," Patton said, referring to this week's temperatures near 90 degrees. "His shirt was off. He had on tennis shoes and khaki pants."

Firefighters quickly responded to Patton's call and were able to pull the man out.

Today was especially busy because of Bike to Work Day.

"Oh, my gosh," said Kareen Erbe when she and a group of eight teens heard that a body had been found.

They are members of the Green Team, of Groundwork Denver, and were riding their bikes to Market Street Station to help with bike day activities.

They investigation forced them and other bicyclists to make a detour.

CBS4 contributed to this report.

• June 25, 2008

  12:40 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  samsmargolis writes:

  It had to be a drowning. The mayor told me yesterday that Denver was safe...

• June 25, 2008

  2:09 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  meatwad writes:

  "Hey, look at that dead guy....Let's go that way."
  **points in opposite direction**

• June 25, 2008

  2:50 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  temurlan writes:

  Is the "Oh my gosh!" quote really necessary?

• June 25, 2008

  5:09 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Scott writes:

  So how many stoned (and stiff) geriatric hippies is DFD going to have to pull out of the river during the DNCC?

  Scott

• June 25, 2008

  6:13 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Monica030 writes:

  Yes he was obviously a stoned hippie. You can tell that by the white sheet.

  Give me break.

• June 26, 2008

  8:58 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Scott writes:

  monica030,

  I did not say that this guy was a "stoned hippie". My question is how many of the stoned geriatric hippies' that are showing up for the DNCC are going to be found floating in the Platte.

  Scott

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