A houseboater on Lake Powell died June 9th after being electrocuted on his boat. This is the fourth fatality in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area this year.
John Ruppert, 35, of San Bernardino, was vacationing in Oak Canyon, a popular boating and camping area on Lake Powell, with his wife and two children. It was evident that Ruppert was electrocuted on the houseboat, and not in the water, but the exact cause of the electrocution is still being investigated by the National Park Service and San Juan County Sherriff's Office, with assistance from the United States Coast Guard.
Glen Canyon dispatch received a call for help just after 8:30 p.m.June 9th. Guardian Life Flight responded immediately sending a helicopter to Oak Canyon, which is approximately 50 miles from the nearest marina. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful and Ruppert was pronounced dead on site.
"Our thoughts are with the family of John Ruppert," Billy Shott, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Superintendent said. "Tragedies like this are a reminder that people need to be cautious when recreating at Lake Powell."
Tags: lake powell fatality
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
