Larimer County Department of Natural Resources, Colorado
End of Watch Thursday, August 20, 2020
Add to My HeroesBrendan Patrick Unitt
Ranger Brendan Unitt drowned while responding to a distressed boater on Horsetooth Reservoir near Soldier Canyon Dam at about 9:30 pm.
Ranger Unitt had been conducting a foot patrol at the campgrounds on the west shore of the reservoir when a strong-wind event occurred. He was dispatched to assist a distressed boater, but when he returned to his boat he discovered it had been blown off of the shoreline. It is believed that he removed his flotation device in an attempt to swim to the boat to retrieve it.
A massive search was undertaken when he failed to arrive at the distressed boater call or respond to dispatchers. His body was located at approximately 3:30 am the following morning.
Ranger Unitt was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Larimer County Department of Natural Resources for six months.
Bio
- Age 27
- Tour 6 months
- Badge P246
- Military Veteran
Incident Details
- Cause Drowned
Most Recent Reflection
View all 106 ReflectionsOn behalf of the Ohio Attorney Generals Bureau of Criminal Identification & Investigation, our thoughts and prayers are with the immediate family Ranger Brendan Unitt and the extended law enforcement family of the Larimer County Department of Natural Resources, Colorado.
End of Watch Friday, August 20, 2020.
Rest in Peace brother and watch over us. We will protect and serve from here on in your honor.
I fight not for glory or fame, for they are momentary. I fight for those who can't. I fight for Justice. I fight for the oppressed and the down trodden. And if I should lose my life for these just causes, then I have no regrets, For I serve to protect the innocent. It matters not where or when, for evil knows no boundaries. Be it fire, flood, or the threat of tyranny, I will not flee. Justice is my weapon. Faith is my shield. Hope is my armor. Cry not at my passing, for it was my Honor to fight for you. Shed not tears of sorrow, But tears of joy, for now, I stand with God.
By Jon F. Hooper
"Greater love hath no man than this; that a man lay down his life for his friends."
Superintendent Joe Morbitzer
Ohio Attorney General, Bureau of Criminal Investigation
September 15, 2020
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