Woman, 2 Kids Die After Pontoon Boat Overturns

Family outing on Lake Powell turns tragic
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 29, 2024 9:01 AM CDT
Family Outing on Lake Powell Turns Tragic
A photo of the capsized boat.   (Coconino County Sheriff's Office)

A woman and two young children died and at least two others were injured Friday when a pontoon boat capsized on Lake Powell in Arizona. Another boat was towing the private 25-foot pontoon when it was overturned by waves near the mouth of Navajo Canyon shortly after 3pm, per the Arizona Republic. The pontoon was carrying 11 family members, some of whom were trapped beneath the overturned boat, per the outlet. When rangers from the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area arrived on the scene, one person was on top of the pontoon, several were in the water, and some could not be seen, officials said, per the Republic.

Nearby boaters assisted the victims, but Melissa Bean, 72, and two unnamed 4-year-old boys were ultimately declared dead. Two others, an adult man and a 12-year-old girl, were taken to the hospital. The girl was reported in critical condition as of Sunday. A rep for the Coconino County Sheriff's Office, which responded along with rangers and the Page Fire Department, said it was launching an investigation given "the magnitude" of the incident. "We've got three fatalities and two in critical condition," which "is not a common circumstance and it's definitely tragic," said Lt. Adam Simonsen, per CBS News. (More Lake Powell stories.)

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