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LAKE POWELL — A 20-year-old man from Russia drowned and six others were injured during a group activity at Lake Powell Monday, officials said.
Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Kurganov, of St. Petersburg, Russia, was part of a group of 29 young adults who were visiting from abroad, according to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area spokeswoman Mary Plumb. The group rented three pontoon boats and took them out to the Wahweap Marina Monday where several in the group jumped into the water without life jackets, Plumb said.
Winds picked up and some of the swimmers began to have difficulty keeping above water. Boat operators were able to pull most of the swimmers out of the water while others were able to make it to shore after a 5-to-10-minute swim, Plumb said.
Aleksandrovich was found unresponsive in about 9 feet of water. A man and woman in the group pulled the Russian native back on board one of the boats, sustaining cuts on their legs from the boat propellers during the incident, Plumb said.
Rangers and deputies in the area responded to the group’s distress call about 2:20 p.m. when the boats arrived back in the Wahweap tour dock, according to Plumb.
Aleksandrovich was pronounced dead on scene, and officials discovered that three others in the group suffered near-drownings — though they all refused medical treatment.
The woman who was cut by the propeller was transported via medical helicopter to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George, and the man who was cut was transported to Banner Page Hospital, along with a second man who was distraught.
Editor's note: National Park Service officials initially did not report the full name of the man who died. This story has been updated to include the full name.
KSL's Southern Utah News Section
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