Human Interest Paddleboarder 'Blown Off' Board Dies After Microburst: 'He Was Unable to Keep His Head Above the Water' The victim presumably drowned after a storm hit Colorado’s Dillon Reservoir on Saturday, according to officials By Stephanie Wenger Stephanie Wenger Instagram Twitter Stephanie Wenger is a TV Writer/Reporter at PEOPLE. She joined the brand in 2021 as digital news writer, spanning across the site's verticals. She previously contributed to E! Online, HollywoodLife, Discover Los Angeles, Oscar.com and Hollywood.com. She appeared on air at AfterBuzz TV. She began her journalism career as an intern at Good Morning America and Access Hollywood. She graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor's in communications and received a Master's in journalism from the University of Southern California. People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 18, 2022 02:49 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Summit County Sheriff's Office A paddleboarder died after a storm hit Colorado's Dillon Reservoir on Saturday, according to authorities. Officials responded to a 911 call from Dillon Reservoir, located about 70 miles west of Denver, after the male victim was "blown off" his board and presumably drowned after being caught in a microburst on Saturday afternoon, the Summit County Sheriff's Office wrote in a statement. According to the National Weather Service, a microburst is a "localized column of sinking air within a thunderstorm" and can be up to 2.5 miles in diameter. 53-Year-Old Man Dies After Saving Woman from Drowning in Colorado River: 'Definition of a True Hero' "The microburst separated the male from his board and he was unable to keep his head above the water," authorities wrote of the victim, who has not yet been publicly identified. Eye witnesses reported that he had a personal flotation device strapped to his board but was not wearing it at the time of the incident, authorities said. Authorities said that during the storm, the victim was separated from his group of friends, who traveled from the Colorado's Front Range. "The group saw the approaching storm and was heading back to the Dillon Marina when it suddenly came over them," the sheriff's office shared. "The rain, winds and large waves created by the microburst, separated the group." 9-Year-Old Boy's Body Located by Dive Team in Calif. After He Drowned on Family Outing The victim's body was located 100 yards offshore from the Roberts Tunnel shoreline on Saturday night using specialized underwater Side Scanner Sonar and Remote Operating Vehicles (ROV) devices. The Summit County Water Rescue Team, Summit County Rescue Group and Colorado State Parks Water Recovery Team aided in the search and recovery of the victim. "Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the victim. These search and recovery events can be extremely long in duration," Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons said in a statement. FitzSimons continued, "The longer they run the more pain and anguish they can cause. I am comforted that we were able to locate and recover the victim quickly and bring closure to his family and friends." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday. The Summit County Coroner's Office is expected to release the name of the victim and their cause of death at a later date.