Sheriff's log details boost security at graduation ceremony, baseless kidnapping report and water rescues

The Summit County Sheriff's Office took precautionary measures to increase security at Summit High School's graduation ceremony last week after what appears to have been a “random person” made threatening statements during the live broadcast of the event.

The graduation ceremony Friday, May 25, concluded without problems or direct threats to the school or students, according to the log of notable calls for service. published weekly by the sheriff's office.

But deputies conducted “additional surveillance” at the graduation after an account commented “BEWARE OF TONY” and “I AM A WEAPON” on the YouTube livestream, the sheriff's log states. The deputies reportedly dispersed into the crowd and set up a perimeter around the graduation ceremony as a precaution.

Deputies attempted to identify the account holder, but were unable to locate anyone in Colorado matching the account information. School officials were quietly notified of the situation and it was determined that the man behind the account was neither a student nor a parent, according to the sheriff's office.

Deputies and school officials put a plan of action in place to avoid a panic in case an evacuation became necessary, but the event ended without incident. The sheriff's office concluded that “it appears to be a random person making statements online.”

Other notable calls the Sheriff's Office responded to last week included an unfounded report of a kidnapping, an 8-hour search and rescue mission, and a windstorm that left three hypothermic paddlers to be rescued. The following incidents occurred between Tuesday, May 21 and Saturday, May 25, according to the sheriff's office.

On Tuesday, May 21, a man reported seeing a woman exit St. Anthony's Summit Hospital running to her car while holding a young child, who she quickly put in the vehicle before driving away. The man gave a description of the woman and her vehicle, and officers located her on Colorado Highway 9 between Frisco and Breckenridge. The woman was coming from the hospital, but there were no children in the vehicle. No missing children have been reported and nothing suspicious has been found on security camera footage. Upon further investigation, it was determined that the caller suffered from mental health issues, that the complaint was unfounded and that no crime had been committed.

On Wednesday, May 22, the Sheriff's Office Special Operations Section and Summit County Rescue Group received a report of two hikers stranded on the back side of Quandary Peak, one of the 14,000-foot mountains from Colorado. The hikers had left the trail, lost their footing, slipped about 100 feet, then continued downhill until they found themselves in a cliff and unable to continue in any direction. A special operations technician, working with a Summit County Rescue Group coordinator, quickly located the hikers with a drone. The all-volunteer rescue group deployed 17 members to the field. Rescuers worked together for more than 8 hours to safely access and lower the hikers using a high-angle rope system. Both hikers suffered only minor injuries and refused further medical treatment.

On Thursday, May 23, a driver was reported on Colorado Highway 9 after a vehicle was observed swerving and driving slowly. Officers located the vehicle, which reportedly did not stop at a stop sign or blink when turning. Contacted by the police, the driver was disoriented and confused but showed no signs of intoxication. Medical personnel were called to the scene, the driver was transported to hospital due to possible dementia-related symptoms, and then picked up by a family member. The vehicle was left at a nearby gas station, with the manager's permission, to save the driver's towing and storage costs.

On Friday, May 24, a man called and reported seeing a small sedan drive off an embankment near a pharmacy in Dillon. The vehicle was far down the hill, almost to the cliff above Interstate 70, and two people were trying to push it up the hill. After contacting the driver, the police allegedly smelled alcohol on his breath and the man admitted to smoking weed. He agreed to voluntarily perform road maneuvers, but failed to perform them as a sober person would and was arrested, according to the sheriff's office.

On Saturday, May 25, the Sheriff's Office responded with Dillon Marina personnel to several simultaneous incidents after a wind storm on Dillon Reservoir. A man who was pulled from his boat was pulled from the water, as were two boaters who had been in the icy water for half an hour. All three were wearing personal flotation devices, or PFDs, which the sheriff's office credits with saving their lives.