Mother of teen who drowned at Otter Creek Reservoir sues feds

Mother of teen who drowned at Otter Creek Reservoir sues feds

(Piute County Sheriff's Office)


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SALT LAKE CITY — The mother of an Arizona teen who drowned in a culvert at Otter Creek Reservoir filed a wrongful death lawsuit Wednesday against the federal agencies that manage the waterway.

Chase Leroy Clark, 17, of Kingman, Arizona, and others were swimming in a pond that feeds the reservoir in Piute County during a family reunion on Aug. 6, 2016. A culvert that draws the water into the reservoir creates a whirlpool in the pond, according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court.

Clark was sucked into the culvert that runs under Otter Creek Road and drowned despite efforts to free him.

Melisa Betley, the boy's mother, alleges in the lawsuit that the Interior Department, Bureau of Land Management and Army Corps of Engineers failed to remedy or guard against the hazard.

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Dennis Romboy
Dennis Romboy is an editor and reporter for the Deseret News. He has covered a variety of beats over the years, including state and local government, social issues and courts. A Utah native, Romboy earned a degree in journalism from the University of Utah. He enjoys cycling, snowboarding and running.

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