The trip turns to tragedy: their boat capsizes while being towed, three people die at sea

Onze personnes se trouvaient à bord. Capture écran Youtube

Une femme et deux enfants sont morts ce vendredi 26 juillet 2024 après que leur bateau a chaviré sur le lac Powell, dans le nord de l’Arizona (États-Unis).

Lake Powell is located northeast of Page and near the Arizona-Utah border in the United States.

Boat capsized while being towed

A 72-year-old woman and two 4-year-old boys died on July 26 after their pontoon boat capsized on Lake Powell, the NY Post reported. Two other people were hospitalized.

The 25-foot (7.62-meter) boat was being towed by another boater when it capsized Friday afternoon, National Park Service officials said: “The waves helped to dislodge the towed vessel.”

There were eleven people on board.

Rescue crews responded to the scene and found one passenger on the hull of the overturned pontoon boat while the others remained trapped in the water beneath the boat, firefighters told the NY Post.

Three dead, two hospitalized

The injured were pulled from the water and taken to hospital by helicopter and ambulance. According to an initial report from authorities, the 72-year-old woman who died was named Melissa Bean, 72. The names of the children have not yet been released.

As of Sunday, two passengers from the pontoon boat were still hospitalized. The fatalities include a 12-year-old girl in critical condition and a man being treated for undisclosed injuries.

This tragic accident is being investigated jointly by the county sheriff, the National Park Service, and the county medical examiner's office.