A 17-year-old is missing after he fell into South Boulder Creek while climbing a nearby rock face Thursday.
The boy and friends were scrambling – climbing without any gear – in Pinecliffe when he fell about 6 p.m., according to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials said the boys did not have cellular phone service at the site and had to hike out of the area to call 911.
“They saw him fall and were able to show where he went in but obviously the water swept him away,” said Cherokee Blake, spokeswoman for the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office. “It’s a tragic incident; it’s a rough area with water running high and fast with all the runoff.”
Boulder Creek empties into Gross Reservoir.
Twelve agencies, including Boulder and Gilpin counties sheriff’s departments, looked for the boy after he was reported missing around 6 p.m. Divers were in the water until 9 p.m., and seachers and dogs continued to look for the boy until 10 p.m. Thursday. The search is scheduled to resume Friday at 6 a.m.
Officials are withholding the identity of the victim until he is found.
The area, Blake said, is not commonly used by freeclimbers.
