PUEBLO, Colo. – Officials from several area agencies were searching Lake Pueblo on Sunday for a man who went missing while fishing from the north shore in the State Wildlife Area.

Witnesses called 9-1-1 at 7:11 a.m., Sunday, after reportedly seeing a 65-year-old Pueblo West man enter the water in an effort to retrieve his fishing rod.

When the man didn’t return to shore, witnesses called for help.

Officers with Colorado Parks and Wildlife launched an immediate search using low-powered sonar and called in the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Department dive team to search for the man.

In addition, AMR responded along with Flight for Life, which conducted an unsuccessful aerial search.

As the search continued, officials mobilized additional equipment and staff to find the missing man including calling in a high-powered sonar unit from Denver.

The area of the search was about three miles west of the Northshore Marina, outside Lake Pueblo State Park near a closed boat ramp popular with shore anglers.

The public  is being asked to avoid the area immediately west of the wildlife boat ramp while search and rescue operations continue.

CPW is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 41 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, management of fishing and hunting, wildlife watching, camping, motorized and non-motorized trails, boating and outdoor education. CPW’s work contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.