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Today at 9:37 a.m., the 6-day search for missing 29-year old Billy Burke of Jackson Hole, Wyoming concluded when his body was spotted at a depth of 153 feet in Lake Powell. Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Lake Patrol Division discovered the body using an underwater Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV). Billy's body was discovered at the base of a cliff in the Coconino County portion of Face Canyon where friends reported that he entered the water in the afternoon of Friday October 9 after attempting a cliff jump of approximately 90 feet. The ROV deployed by Maricopa County is over 60% smaller and more agile for navigating the rugged underwater terrain in the search area than the ROV used on previous search days. This ROV was able to approach the cliff walls without stirring up as much sediment, which allowed for improved viewing of the area.
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Acting Superintendent Lindy Mihata extends thanks to Coconino County Sheriff's Office, Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and Utah State Parks for contributing to this successful search and underwater recovery effort.
The search was coordinated by Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, while the investigation is being coordinated by Coconino County Sheriff's Detectives. At this point in the investigation, investigators do not believe that foul play was involved, and that this was an unfortunate accident.
Since the year 2000, six cliff jumping deaths have occurred in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
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cliff jumping lake powell
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Last updated: October 15, 2015