South Jefferson County – The body of a man believed to be a missing snowshoer was found today in a wetlands area between Waterton Canyon and Chatfield Reservoir.
The Jefferson County coroner’s office is determining whether the body found frozen in a creek is that of Mel Dinklage, 45.
Dinklage had gone snowshoeing Saturday morning, but wasn’t reported missing until about 2 a.m. today, said Jim Shires, spokesman for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
“People are misled by TV programs that they have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing,” Shires said. “I don’t know if this is the case, but we are asking family members exactly why they waited so long to make a report.”
Dinklage, who lived in the south Denver area, was missing his right leg below the knee and wore a prosthesis.
He worked as a nurse at Swedish HealthOne Southwest, a freestanding emergency center near West Bowles Avenue and South Wadsworth Boulevard, since it opened in the fall of 2005.
About 60 people from the Alpine Search and Rescue Unit and Jefferson and Douglas county sheriff’s offices participated in the search, which also included a helicopter, snowmobiles and dogs.
Shires said Dinklage’s vehicle was found in the Aubudon Center’s parking lot, which is just north of the trailhead for Waterton Canyon.
“No one saw him there Saturday and there were no fresh tracks from his vehicle,” Shires said, which was a mile from where the body was located.
The search began about 4:30 a.m. and was suspended six hours later when the man’s body was found.
Some ice-breaking equipment was needed to remove the body, Shires said.
Bill Barwick, spokesman for Alpine Search and Rescue, said the area is not particularly steep, and is usually heavily snowshoed but wasn’t over the weekend.
Rescuers urged people heading out for recreation – even to an area close to cities – to be prepared for any kind of weather change, to not go by themselves, and to tell someone where they are going, what route they will be taking and when they will be back.
“Then if people don’t return when they say they will, call authorities,” Shires said.
Staff writer Ann Schrader can be reached at 303-278-3217 or aschrader@denverpost.com.
