(WatchDogReport.org) – After jumping from a cliff into the water, a man lost his life in Lake Powell on Thursday, July 20, 2023. The cliff’s official height was determined to be about 50 feet above the water’s surface. The accident occurred at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Kane County, Utah.
The victim’s identity has been determined to be Cory Ryan Ehrnschwender, a 36-year-old from Cincinnati, OH. According to several witnesses, Ehrnschwender jumped from the cliff into the waters of Lake Powell just before noon but never came back to the surface. Authorities were notified of a possible fatality and responded quickly. Multiple local agencies conducted the initial search for the missing man with no results.
Ehrnschwender’s body was recovered the next day, Friday, July 21, 2023, just after 10:00 in the morning. The Utah Department of Public Safety Dive Team found the body after their sonar equipment detected him about 30 feet below the surface. An exact cause of death has not been determined as of the time of this writing. The Utah State Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy in Salt Lake City.
The Glen Canyon National Recreation Area reminds all visitors that diving from any surface higher than 15 feet above the surface of the water, including ledges, cliffs, and man-made surfaces, is prohibited. There are dangers in the water that cannot be seen from the surface, such as shallow areas, rocks, and debris. Jumping into the water can be extremely dangerous and potentially deadly. Visitors are asked to enjoy their recreational time while following all safety precautions.
A boating accident in 2020 also resulted in a death in the Glen Canyon Recreation Area. 46-year-old Ryan Hall of Sarasota Springs took a wave boat out from the houseboat he and others were using as a campsite on the water. The wave boat hit a rock and capsized. As with Ehrnschwender’s accident, an initial search was unsuccessful. Hall was found the next day under 12 feet of water.
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