At about 5:40 p.m., NPS Dispatchers received a call that rangers were needed at the Boulder Beach area of Lake Mead. NPS Rangers, Nevada Department of Wildlife Wardens, and Metro Search and Rescue responded and are currently searching for a 7-year-old girl who was on a raft and has not been seen for about 30 minutes. Witnesses told rangers she is not wearing a life jacket and she does not know how to swim. At this time she is presumed drowned.
At about 5 p.m. tonight, Saturday, May 27, visitors on a houseboat found a body floating in the water of Lake Mead. At this time, NPS Rangers think it is the body of a 21-year-old man who had been missing since yesterday. At this time we do not know the exact cause of death. The Clark County Coroner is investigating. This is the 10th fatality in the park this calendar year.
History of incident: On Friday, May 26 at about 7:30 p.m., the NPS Dispatch Center was notified that a man and woman left on a small vessel at about 11 a.m. and had not been seen since then. At about 8:38 p.m., NPS Rangers found the 22-year-old woman in the water. She was wearing a life jacket and told Rangers that her 21-year-old boyfriend was also in the water and wearing a life jacket. The NPS Rangers and Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) Wardens tried to locate him by boat. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Air Search and Rescue and a Nellis Air Force Base Air Rescue Squadron tried to locate the young man from the air in extremely windy conditions. The search was called off at about midnight for the safety of the rescuers. The search resumed this morning and continued until wind gusts of 50 mph caused the water search to be suspended.
Other Major Incidents Summary for Saturday, May 27, 2006 (as of 6:00 p.m.)
NPS Rangers and/or NDOW Wardens have responded to:
* One major Emergency Medical Service call at Cottonwood Cove (NV side of Mead)(cause/status unknown)
* 7 search and rescue incidents that saved at least 14 people including 4 children and one infant.
* one boating accident
* a motor vehicle accident
* one airlift of a head trauma victim (cause of injury unknown at this time)
Other Major Incident Summary for Friday, May 26, 2006
On Friday, May 26, a 32-year-old Los Angeles, California woman named Laura Ventura, died on Lake Mohave. It was the 9th fatality in the recreation area this calendar year. At this time, Rangers believe waves and wind action were contributing factors to this fatality. The exact cause of death is not known at this time. The Mohave County Medical Examiner is handling the investigation.
At Lake Mohave, Rangers were able to save a woman who had attempted to kill herself. She was taken to a local area hospital for medical and psychiatric care.
At least 11 other visitors were rescued on Lakes Mead and Mohave on Friday, May 26. All of the people rescued, were on vessels affected by strong winds, and the resulting wave size and action. Additionally, a missing 7-year-old boy who wandered away from his family’s camp site was recovered by Park Rangers near the shoreline of the Stewart’s Point area of Lake Mead.
NPS Rangers want to thank all of our partners for their assistance this weekend:
Nevada Department of Wildlife
Arizona Game and Fish Department
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
Nellis Air Force Base
Mohave County Sheriff
Bullhead City Fire Department
US Coast Guard Auxiliary
Clark County Coroner
Mohave County Medical Examiner
Lake Mead National Recreation Area is a unit of the National Park Service.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
