Mother dies in Lake Powell saving 2-year-old son
Update: 8/25/16, 1:06 p.m.: Officials say the woman who died is from Lakewood, Colorado. Neither she nor the 2-year-old were wearing life jackets. The mother has been identified as Chelsea Russell.
(KUTV) A woman at Lake Powell died Tuesday rescuing her 2-year-old son, who had fallen overboard into the lake.
The 33-year-old woman was boating near Halls Crossing at the lake, according to a release from the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. They said she went into the water to rescue her son after he fell overboard. She was able to hold the child out of the water until her brother could reach them in a runabout boat and pulled them out of the water, but the woman was unresponsive.
It is presumed she drowned but the official cause of death is pending the coroner's confirmation.
Officials said national park rangers responded to reports of an emergency by way of marine band radio and heard that CPR was in progress. Rangers continued resuscitation efforts but they were unsuccessful according to a release from the recreation area.
The toddler was flown to Flagstaff Medical Center in Arizona and was in stable condition.
The woman has not yet been identified.
Meri Sias, Acting Chief Ranger at the recreation area said that children 12 and under are required to wear life jackets while boaters on Lake Powell she said all boaters are encouraged to do so.
"A common denominator in more than 120 fatalities at Lake Powell in the last decades is that victims were not wearing life jackets."
"There are no words to convey the tragedy of losing a loved one like this," said Teri Tucker, Acting Superintendent for the recreation area. "Our hearts are with the family and friends of the victims during this time of unexpected pain and loss."
The incident is being investigated by the National Park Service, San Juan County Sheriff's Office and Utah State Parks.
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