Reply With QuoteBody of missing boater recovered
By DAVID BELL
Sunday, July 8, 2007 7:55 PM MST
Rescue divers recovered the body of a 21-year-old man that died following a single-boat accident on Lake Havasu Saturday.
Mohave County Sheriff's Office divers, assisted Lake Havasu City Police Department, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Fish & Wildlife and BLM Rangers, retrieved the body of Jeremy Conklin, of Felah, Wash., Sunday at 2:33 p.m.
Conklin's body was found close to the scene of the crash, in the north basin, about one-mile east of Windsor Beach launch ramps at Lake Havasu State Park. SBCSO's sonar unit located the victim.
The crash occurred at 4:14 p.m. Saturday. A 72-year-old Lake Havasu City man was at the throttle of his 1992 Awesome 30-foot Daycruiser, and was traveling southeast at a high rate of speed, when he made a sharp turn to starboard.
That sharp turn, which MCSO officials said was due to heavy boat congestion in the area, caused the boat to roll and eject the driver and five passengers.
The operator and four of the passengers were rescued by Good Samaritans and brought in to Lake Havasu State Park for transport to Havasu Regional Medical Center. The fifth person - Conklin - failed to surface.
Two of the injured were classified as needing immediate medical attention while the other three were less-seriously injured.
The identities of the victims were not released. Lake Havasu City Fire Department personnel said the injured included one woman and four men.
MCSO was able to recover the boat Saturday and bring it into shore for further investigation. The vessel is reported to have suffered significant damage.
Alcohol may have been a factor in the crash. No charges have yet been filed and investigation is ongoing. An autopsy has been scheduled.
It's the first death on the Colorado River between Needles and the Parker Dam this year. Last year there were six fatalities on the river and Lake Havasu.
just terrible news
