GRDA & Fire Crews Work to Recover Fairland Man from Grand Lake

GRDA officials say no foul play was involved when 32 year old Mitchell Cunningham jumped into the lake at Twin Bridges State Park around 1:15 this afternoon, and no one has seen him since.

Mike Hensley says, "I heard people hollering and pointing and by the time i got here..he was gone.....the current took him that fast."

Many like Mike Hensley reacted quickly when they saw a man getting swept away in this part of Grand Lake, which fire crews say is about 75 feet deep.

Chief of Homeland Security for the GRDA. Brian Edwards says, "Around 1:15 we got a call a man had jumped off a dock behind us and started down river.

Witnesses say they last saw Mitchell Cunningham near this railroad bridge screaming for help.

Edwards says, "People lost sight of him."

Emergency crews got in their boats to search for him....

Edwards says, "We had a helicopter do an aerial search of the river..."

But still no luck.

What makes this situation even worse is how high the water levels are right now. It's because of the recent weather we've been having and if you take a look at that bench right over there you can see its almost halfway submerged under water."

Edwards says, "It's pretty difficult and pretty dangerous right now with the flows being up so we're doing all we can to accomplish our mission."

The mission of rescuing a life, but that mission soon changed to recovering a body.

Edwards says, "I think it's gonna be unfortunately days before they actually find him he may be in the main body of water.

GRDA officials say it could take days to recover Cunningham's body.

Crews suspended their search tonight and will start again in the morning

They have also blocked off the area of the lake where the man jumped.

But all roads in the area are open.