The body of 58-year-old drowning victim John Borden was recovered from Lake Powell on October 10th by the park’s underwater recovery unit. His body was found at a depth of over 100 feet using a remote operated vehicle equipped with sonar and video. The 16-day search occurred in Padre Canyon and included assistance from the Utah Highway Patrol dive team, the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and the Kane County Sheriff’s Office. On the evening of Monday, September 24th, the park received a report of a missing person in Padre Canyon. During a localized windstorm with high wind and waves, a houseboat was pushed off shore and began to drift. Borden used a jet ski to seek help from a nearby houseboat, picking up another person to go to the assistance of the drifting boat. Neither person on the jet ski was wearing a lifejacket or the kill-switch lanyard. As they were motoring toward the distressed houseboat, the jet ski lanyard fell off and activated the engine kill switch. Borden jumped into the water to retrieve the lanyard; in the meantime, the passenger was able to restart the jet ski and motored to the distressed houseboat. When members of the group were informed that there was still a person in the water, they attempted rescue but were unable to find Borden.

Contact Information
Name: Denise Shultz, Public Affairs Officer