BOULDER COUNTY - Just after 12 p.m. on Sunday, July 6, 2025, a person fishing at Barker Reservoir in Nederland reported what they believed to be a body in the reservoir, which Nederland Fire Protection District (NFPD)  personnel later confirmed.

The body of the deceased male was recovered by a cold water rescue team of the Boulder Emergency Squad (BES) just over ten feet offshore.

The remains were examined by the Boulder County Coroner’s Office who, according to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), would “determine the identification of the decedent, as well as determine the cause and manner of death.”

On Tuesday morning, BCSO released that the coroner’s office had identified the decedent as Chadwick Potter, who was 36 years old. Any information pertaining to the cause of death has yet to be released.

NFPD Fire Chief Charlie Schmidtmann spoke to The Mountain-Ear about the district’s role in the call, detailing how Nederland personnel were prepared in the event of a water rescue. BES was called as they are provided with specialized equipment and personnel, including sonar, drones, and a dive team, to best handle the nature of the call while ensuring preservation of the scene. 

“We value our mutual aid agreements,” Schmidtmann said. “It takes collaboration between all the agencies to make a call like this run smoothly.” 

BCSO was also one of the four agencies who responded to the situation at Barker Reservoir; the associated case number is 25-03225.