OAN Staff Abril Elfi
8:58 AM – Sunday, July 28, 2024
A pontoon boat carrying 11 people overturned on Lake Powell in northern Arizona, killing a woman and two small children.
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A boat capsized on Lake Powell close to Navajo Canyon was reported to the National Park Service’s (NPS) Glen Canyon Regional Communications Center on Friday, just after 3 p.m.
According to the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, a 25-foot pontoon boat was being towed by another boat when waves caused the pontoon to capsize. Several of the 11 passengers got stuck beneath the overturned boat.
“It’s not unusual for us to investigate a death on the water periodically throughout the year. However, the magnitude of this—we’ve got three fatalities and two in critical condition is not a common circumstance and it’s definitely tragic,” said Lt. Adam Simonsen with the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office. “It’s tragic for everybody involved.”
When park rangers from the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area arrived on the scene, they discovered that some people were still in the water and that one person was standing on the underside of the overturned boat.
Although some passengers were missing, the sheriff’s office reports that neighboring boaters were assisting people in getting out of the water. According to officials, two individuals were taken by medical helicopter to adjacent ambulances for treatment while search efforts persisted.
According to authorities, Melissa Bean, 72, and two 4-year-old boys have been ruled deceased.
Although the number of injured people is still unknown, authorities claim that every passenger has been found. Two of the passengers are in critical condition.
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