Boat Mishap At Glen Canyon NRA Leaves Three Dead

A boating accident on Lake Powell at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area has left three dead.

According to the National Park Service, the NRA communications center was alerted Friday afternoon of an overturned vessel on Lake Powell near buoy 12 and the mouth of Navajo Canyon. The 25-foot privately owned pontoon vessel had encountered operational issues and was being towed by another boat when waves contributed to the towed vessel capsizing. Several of the 11 passengers became trapped under the overturned vessel, the Park Service release said. 

Rangers who responded to the scene saw a member of the party on top of the pontoon boat and others in the water, with some of the party unaccounted for. Nearby boaters assisted in retrieving victims out of the water.

Emergency medical attention was provided on scene by Glen Canyon rangers and Page, Arizona, Fire Department personnel. Two other patients were transported by Classic Air Medical helicopter and the Page Fire Department ambulance for further medical treatment. The fatalities included two four-year-old boys and a 72-year-old woman, the release said.

The incident is currently under investigation by the National Park Service, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.