Arizona man presumed to have drowned while boating at Lake Powell

Lake Powell -- Glen Canyon Recreation Area. Photo courtesy of National Park Service

KANE COUNTY, Utah, June 1, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A 30-year-old Arizona man is presumed to have drowned Sunday in Lake Powell, the Kane County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release late Monday.

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area dispatch received a call at about 4:30 p.m. Sunday reporting a missing person and presumed drowning in Lake Powell in the Warm Creek area.

“Witnesses reported that a group of 5 friends was on a privately owned vessel traveling in the Warm Creek arm of Lake Powell, approximately 3,000 meters from the Cut,” the news release states.

The victim, who was from Flagstaff, Arizona, decided to go for a swim; however, he wasn’t wearing a life jacket, and “conditions were semi-windy.”

He disappeared underwater about 100 meters from the vessel and did not resurface, officials said.

“National Park Service Rangers and Classic Air Medical conducted a hasty search until dusk. No recovery was made on May 31 and the missing party is now presumed deceased,” the news release states.

As recovery operations continue, the National Park Service has deployed its submerged Remote Operated Vessel dive boat using side-scan sonar.

The Kane County Sheriff’s Office and National Park Service are handling the investigation into the incident.

The name of the victim is not being released pending notification of family members.

The news release concludes by saying, “All boaters are reminded to be aware of changing weather conditions and to always wear life jackets when boating and recreating on or around water.”

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