SALT LAKE CITY — Authorities with the National Park Service recovered the body of a man who drowned at Lake Powell Saturday morning.
The drowning was reported about 5:15 p.m. on Friday. Vi-Thien Ha, 30, of Kearns and Ember Gonsalves, 25, of Logan, were boating in Lake Powell near Castle Rock. At some point, they stopped their boat and got into the water to swim. Neither of them were wearing a life jacket, the Kane County Sheriff's Office said in a news release Monday.
Strong winds blew the boat away from Ha and Gonsalves, the sheriff's office said. Gonsalves made it back onto the boat, where she called 911. Ha went underwater and was not seen again.
A Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation boat was nearby and responded to the scene along with the National Park Service.
Crews with the National Park Service used sonar technology to locate Ha in about 30 feet of water. His body was recovered by the National Park Service the following morning.
Ha's body has been transferred to the Utah State Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy.
The Kane County Sheriff's Office is still investigating the drowning and reminded the public of the importance of life jackets.
