CEDAR CITY — A 14-year-old boy is missing and presumed to have drowned in Newcastle Reservoir Saturday afternoon.
UPDATE June 12, 2022 10:45 a.m. Searchers located the boy’s body at 4:45 a.m. Sunday morning. He was a resident of Beryl. Underwater drones and sonar equipment were used in the search. The boy’s name has not been released yet.
The incident, which was reported at approximately 2:40 p.m., involved two teenage brothers, aged 17 and 14, who were each riding in their own kayak, according to a news release issued Saturday evening by Iron County Sheriff’s Office
The boys, who were not wearing life jackets, were reportedly trying to knock each other out of their kayaks, according to the release. At some point, the younger teen, who reportedly did not know how to swim, went under the surface in water that was approximately 10-12 feet deep, the statement added.
By the time 911 was called, the 14-year-old had already been under water for approximately 10 minutes, according to the sheriff’s office statement.
Personnel from multiple agencies were called in assist in the search, including Iron County Sheriff’s deputies, local firefighters and paramedics, dive team members from Iron and Washington counties and an Intermountain Life Flight helicopter crew.
Iron County Sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Humphries said personnel from Utah Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management also responded and provided assistance.
As of 7 p.m. Saturday, recovery efforts were still ongoing but the boy’s body had not yet been found, Humphries told Cedar City News via telephone.
The sheriff’s office said more information would be released as it becomes available.
First responders from the Iron County Sheriff’s Office, Brian Head Public Safety, Bureau of Land Management Law Enforcement, Utah Highway Patrol, Utah DPS Dive Team, Washington County Search and Rescue, Wasatch County Search and Rescue, Department of Natural Resources, Gold Cross Ambulance, Enterprise Ambulance, SUU Aviation and Intermountain Lifeflight were called out to assist with the search.
St. George News Weekend Editor Ric Wayman assisted with the updates to this story.
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