Hopi man dies in cliff jumping accident near Glen Canyon Dam

Lake Powell, Arizona.
Photo/NPS

Lake Powell, Arizona.

PAGE, Ariz. — An Arizona man died Aug. 14 after a cliff-jumping accident at Anchovy Point on Lake Powell.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) and National Park Service (NPS) rangers responded to the accident after a report from Glen Canyon Dam National Recreation Area Dispatch. According to a news release, witnesses told authorities that the victim, identified as 25-year-old Erick Kallestewa of Hotevilla, Arizona, jumped from about 30 feet into the water. Kallestewa resurfaced but began to struggle because of wave and wind conditions in the area. Officials said boaters on a private vessel attempted to provide assistance after seeing one of the witnesses trying to rescue Kallestewa.

At some point, Kallestewa failed to resurface.

Because the water at Anchovy Point, located between Glen Canyon Dam and Wahweap Marina, is more than 170 feet deep, authorities brought in a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) to search the waters where Kallestewa was last seen.

The search was suspended overnight and resumed around dawn Aug. 15. Kallestewa’s body was recovered by the ROV specialists and a dive team from Glen Canyon Dam around 10:45 a.m. in 432 feet of water.

Authorities are unsure whether Kallestewa was injured in the jump or drowned. The incident is currently under investigation by the National Park Service, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.

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