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3 dead, including 2 kids, and 2 injured after pontoon boat capsizes in northern Arizona lake
The 25-foot pontoon was overturned by waves, resulting in the deaths of three people.
Three people tragically died, and two others were hospitalised, after a pontoon boat capsized on Lake Powell in northern Arizona. According to National Park Service officials, the 25-foot pontoon, which was owned privately, was overturned by waves while being towed by another boater on Friday afternoon, July 26.
The incident took place near the mouth of Navajo Canyon within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, according to New York Post. Lake Powell is situated northeast of Page and near the Arizona-Utah border.
When emergency crews rushed to the scene, they found some of the 11 passengers on top of the overturned pontoon. Others were in the water, and trapped underneath the boat.
A pontoon is a flat-bottomed boat that generally floats with the help of hollow tubes.
Who were the victims?
Glen Canyon rangers and Page Fire Department personnel rescued those who were trapped, and put them into ambulances and helicopters to be taken to hospitals. Among those who died were 72-year-old Melissa Bean, as well as two boys, both aged 4. The names of the children have not been disclosed.
As of Sunday, July 28, two other passengers were hospitalised. Among them was a man who was being treated for undisclosed injuries, and a girl, 12, who was in critical condition.
According to authorities, the pontoon was carrying families from Utah and Idaho when it capsized. However, it is unclear if the victims were related. The county sheriff’s department, National Park Service and county medical examiner’s office are reportedly investigating the incident.
“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,” Lt. Adam Simonsen, a spokesman for the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, said in a statement.
