Lake Powell Accident: 1 Dead, 2 Missing After Motorboat Collides With Houseboat

One woman is dead, two people are missing, and many others are injured after a boating accident on Lake Powell between Arizona and Utah on Thursday morning.

Adrian Jackman, 59, was driving a motorboat when he swerved after noticing a moving houseboat in the vicinity, according to the Associated Press.

The ensuing collision resulted in the death of his wife, Marilyn Jackman, 57. His daughter, Jessica Jackman, 22, and his son’s girlfriend, Valerie Rae Bradshaw, are missing in the water and presumed dead. Adrian Jackman and his 11-year-old granddaughter were treated for injuries at a hospital in Flagstaff, Ariz., and released later on Thursday.

AP reported there were aboard the motorboat 13 passengers, including six children, all of whom were wearing life jackets. No passengers on the houseboat were injured.

Deputies indicated that the group on board the motorboat was heading toward Rainbow Bridge, supposedly the largest natural bridge in the world, at the time of the crash.

According to UPI, Kane County Sheriff’s Sgt. Alan Alldredge said National Park Service dispatchers at Wahweap Marina were notified of the crash, which took place near Dangling Rope Marina in Lake Powell, at around 8:15 a.m. local time.

Officials are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, specifically, whether the driver of the motorboat was distracted at the time of the crash.

“This time of year, the lake can get busy, and these kinds of accidents, ... they do have a great potential for happening out there,” Alldredge said.

The Salt Lake Tribune noted that the search for the missing women carried over into Friday, but technical difficulties in the equipment used resulted in the National Park Service dive team calling off the search at around 2 p.m.