Body of missing swimmer recovered at Sand Hollow Reservoir

SALT LAKE CITY — Rescue crews recovered the body of a 22-year-old man Tuesday evening after searching for hours at Sand Hollow Reservoir near St. George.

The man, who was visiting Utah from Michigan, had been out on the water with three friends when he disappeared beneath the surface.

According to Sgt. Justin Bice with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, the swimmer was last seen at the dive park, and dispatchers received the first emergency call about 20 minutes past noon.

"A 22-year-old male was seen struggling in the water and then went under," Bice said. "Family has been notified that he is likely deceased."

Search teams spent the afternoon scanning a wide section of the reservoir, which required the help of multiple agencies, including the Hurricane police and fire departments, the Department of Public Safety and the Washington County Sheriff's Search and Rescue.

Although the water in that area is only about 20 feet deep, Bice said the challenge was pinpointing the exact location where the swimmer went under — especially with wind and shifting conditions.

"Knowing exactly where he went under is the difficult part of this recovery," he said. "We're scanning a fairly large area."

Around 5 p.m., crews located the man's body.

Bice used the moment to urge visitors to take water safety seriously as the state ramps up for a hot and busy summer season.

"If you're not a strong swimmer, the value of personal flotation devices is immense," he said. "I've personally never responded to a drowning where they were wearing any type of certified personal flotation device — very, very rare.

It's going to be a hot, busy summer, so we just want to remind the public to be safe out on our recreation areas."

Authorities have not yet released the victim's name. They extended their condolences to his family and said the incident remains under investigation.

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