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Coroner’s Office identifies body found July 3 as missing 3-year-old Sebastian Rodriguez Castro

More than 500 people joined in the search for a missing local 3-year-old in early June.
Chris Dillmann | Special to the Daily

The Eagle County Coroner’s Office released a statement Wednesday identifying the body of a child found July 3 in the Eagle River as missing 3-year-old Sebastian Rodriguez Castro.

The statement from Eagle County Coroner Kara Bettis and the Coroner’s Office says the cause of death is consistent with drowning and the manner is accidental. Officials are asking that the family’s privacy be respected during this difficult time. Bettis also said the family expressed gratitude for the efforts to find Castro and the outpouring of community support.

“I thank the community for being patient as we followed this Office’s process for confirming the identity of a recovered body,” Bettis said in an emailed news release. “We hope this announcement brings closure to the family and a measure of healing to our caring community.”



Authorities were contacted immediately when Castro went missing on Friday, June 5, in Eagle. More than 500 volunteers joined the search that weekend. The boy’s shoe and cell phone he was carrying at the time were found near the Eagle River on June 7, and the volunteer effort was called off as authorities focused on the Eagle River every day for the following weeks.

The search included multiple agencies using drones, rafts, kayaks, dogs and other resources. High flows on the Eagle River made for challenging conditions for rescue efforts over the weeks as about 10 spots had been identified where conditions were too dangerous and could only be searched once river levels had subsided.

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Sebastian Rodriguez Castro went missing on June 5.
Eagle County PIO | Special to the Daily

A GoFundMe page has been set up for the Castro family. You can donate here.

The following local, state and federal agencies assisted with the search and recovery: Eagle Police Department, 5th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Avon Police Department, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Colorado Department of Transportation, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Colorado River Fire Rescue, Colorado State Patrol, Delta County Search and Rescue, Eagle County, Eagle County Airport Fire Rescue, Eagle County Coroner’s Office, Eagle County Regional Airport, Eagle County Sheriff’s Office, Eagle County Transit, Eagle River Fire Protection District, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Garfield County Search and Rescue, Grand County Sheriff’s Office, Grand Fire Protection District, Greater Eagle Fire Protection District, Gypsum Fire Protection District, High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site, Larimer County Search and Rescue, National Institute of Missing and Exploited Children, Northwest Colorado Incident Management Team, Routt County Communications, Summit County Rescue Group, Timberline Tours, Vail Fire & Emergency Services, Vail Mountain Rescue, Vail Police Department, Vail Public Safety Communications Center, Vail Transit, and Vail Valley Salvation Army.


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