Teen seriously injured while cliff jumping at Lake Powell

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ST. GEORGE — A teen was airlifted to a St. George hospital Saturday after sustaining serious injuries in a cliff-jumping accident at Lake Powell.

At approximately 10:45 a.m., National Park Service dispatch received a call from park rangers who were assisting an 18-year-old man with serious injuries after jumping from a 50- to 60-foot cliff in the Halls Creek Bay area, NPS Public Information Officer Mary Plumb said in a statement.

“It was reported he did not initially resurface and friends swam down to get him,” Plumb said.

The teen was then taken by vessel to the Bullfrog Marina where he was airlifted by Classic Aviation to Dixie Regional Medical Center.

“The flight medic reported at approximately 3:40 p.m. that the patient had suffered an aortic rupture,” Plumb said, “and was in very serious medical condition.”

Hospital officials have since reported that the teen is in stable condition and may be released from the hospital within the next couple days, Plumb said Tuesday evening.

His name has not been released.

The incident was one of three serious accidents, including two deaths, to occur over the weekend at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Kane County.

On Sunday, 5-year-old Bennett Hammon, of St. George, died after being run over by his father at Lake Powell.

As the boy’s family was packing up to return to St. George, Bennett began building a sand castle on Lone Rock Beach in front of his father’s truck. His father didn’t see Bennett when he pulled forward.

Bennett suffered severe traumatic injuries, park service officials said, and was transported by Classic Aviation to a hospital in Page, Arizona, where he died at approximately 2:45 p.m.

Read more: 5-year-old St. George boy dies after being run over

A 6-month-old child died early Monday following attempts to save him after a boating accident the previous day on Lake Powell.

The boy sustained major head wounds, according to a joint statement from the NPS and Coconino County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident occurred as a houseboat attempted to dock on a beach in the Navajo Canyon portion of Lake Powell in Arizona. When the houseboat struck the beach, the impact caused an adult to fall on the child.

The boy was ultimately flown to Children’s Primary Hospital in Salt Lake City, where he was pronounced dead.

The family resides in Bluffdale, Utah, according to the joint statement.

Read more: Infant killed in boating accident on Lake Powell

All three incidents are under investigation by the National Park Service, authorities said.

This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

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Twitter: @STGnews

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2017, all rights reserved.

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1 Comment

  • Wolverine September 21, 2017 at 8:57 am

    Is it just me imagining things, or are there a LOT of serious injuries and deaths at or near Lake Powell this year? It seems like every week we hear of a death or dismemberment in this region. Holy smokes. So many tragic stories. I wish all of these families well and hope they can learn to heal (physically and mentally) after so many terrible tragedies this Summer.

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