An apparent microburst toppled about a dozen sailboats on Dillon Reservoir late Thursday afternoon, with rescuers scrambling to retrieve people from the water.
A microburst is a sudden downdraft of wind from storm clouds.
According to Lake Dillon Fire and Rescue, the boats were competing in the Dillon Regatta; ironically, spokesman Steve Lipsher said, each of the two-person crews had been given a lecture the night before indicating that a microburst or other unexpected weather could happen.
The microburst hit at about 5:30 p.m., overturning the sailboats and dumping each of the crews into the water. Surface temperatures in the reservoir in August typically range from 55 degrees to 65 degrees, which Fire and Rescue says is too cold for human tolerance of more than a few minutes.
Fortunately, a Summit County Sheriff’s Deputy saw the incident from his boat; soon, crews from Lake Dillon Fire, the Summit County Ambulance and the Sheriff’s Office came to the rescue. While the sailors were retrieved quickly, the spokesman said it took a couple of hours to get the boats upright and back to shore.
The regatta is expected to resume on Friday.
