HURRICANE — The body of 35-year-old Jared Todd, of Renton, Washington, was located and recovered from the Quail Creek Reservoir by divers Monday night.
About 7 p.m., Hurricane Police Department received a phone call from Todd’s family saying that someone in their party was having trouble swimming, Laura Melling, Sand Hollow Complex park manager, said.
Todd was swimming about 500 feet out from the dock when he called for help. The family tried to assist him, but were unable to do so, Melling said. When the family called 911 they could no longer see Todd in the water.
The Washington County Search and Rescue dive team was dispatched to the scene. They were not able to locate the body using a sonar method because of the wind and waves on the water, Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy Darrell Cashin said.
Instead, the dive team located Todd’s body using a grid search.
The grid search deploys two separate teams of three divers, Cashin said. A single diver from each team will start searching from one dock to the other; the divers will swim towards one another using a tended arch pattern.
“They sweep back and forth, making a full arch, then they let out five feet and sweep back again,” he said. Both teams cover the area completely and they keep looking for the body until it is located.
According to a press release, Todd’s body was located in approximately 15 feet of water and 20 feet from shore. The body was recovered from the water shortly before 10 p.m.
Investigation into the incident is still underway.
“We have no reason to suspect that it’s anything but an accident,” Melling said.
Swimming Safety Tips
The following is a list of swimming safety tips for children and adults provided by the American Red Cross:
- Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards.
- Always swim with a buddy; do not allow anyone to swim alone.
- Never leave a young child unattended near water and do not trust a child’s life to another child; teach children to always ask permission to go near water.
- Have young children or inexperienced swimmers wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets around water, but do not rely on life jackets alone.
- Maintain constant supervision.
- Make sure everyone in your family learns to swim well. Enroll in age-appropriate Red Cross water orientation and learn-to-swim courses.
- If you have a pool, secure it with appropriate barriers. Many children who drown in home pools were out of sight for less than five minutes and in the care of one or both parents at the time.
- Avoid distractions when supervising children around water.
- If a child is missing, check the water first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability.
- Have appropriate equipment, such as reaching or throwing equipment, a cell phone, life jackets and a first aid kit.
- Know how and when to call 911 or the local emergency number.
- Enroll in Red Cross home pool safety, water safety, first aid and CPR/AED courses to learn how to prevent and respond to emergencies.
- Protect your skin. Limit the amount of direct sunlight you receive between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and wear sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 15.
- Drink plenty of water regularly, even if you’re not thirsty. Avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine in them.
Sand Hollow State Park offers a life vest loan program, Melling said.
“If you come to one of the parks and you want a life vest, go to the entrance station. We will loan you one.”
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Park officials, reponders and divers search for the body of a drowned man at Quail Creek Reservoir, Hurricane, Utah, June 15, 2015 | Photo by Jessica Tempfer, St. George News Park officials, reponders and divers search for the body of a drowned man at Quail Creek Reservoir, Hurricane, Utah, June 15, 2015 | Photo by Jessica Tempfer, St. George News Park officials, reponders and divers search for the body of a drowned man at Quail Creek Reservoir, Hurricane, Utah, June 15, 2015 | Photo by Jessica Tempfer, St. George News Park officials, reponders and divers search for the body of a drowned man at Quail Creek Reservoir, Hurricane, Utah, June 15, 2015 | Photo by Jessica Tempfer, St. George News Park officials, reponders and divers search for the body of a drowned man at Quail Creek Reservoir, Hurricane, Utah, June 15, 2015 | Photo by Jessica Tempfer, St. George News Park officials, reponders and divers search for the body of a drowned man at Quail Creek Reservoir, Hurricane, Utah, June 15, 2015 | Photo by Jessica Tempfer, St. George News
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So sad.
A tragedy that extends well beyond the sadness of family. I offer my condolences and wish the strength to endure and carry on, all the while remembering the good and happy times spent with Jared. May God be with you.