Man who jumped from Hoover Dam identified
A man who jumped to his death from the Hoover Dam last week was identified Monday.
Thomas Matchko, 57, of Las Vegas, died about noon Oct. 16.
Rose Davis, spokeswoman for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, said witnesses saw the man climb on the ledge and jump from the downstream face of the dam. Matchko’s body ended up in a culvert above the powerhouse buildings at the base of the 726-foot structure.
The dam and the road leading to it remained open after the incident, Davis said.
She said suicides from the dam are rare, but she could not say how long it had been since the previous death or how many have occurred since the dam was dedicated in 1935.
Four people have jumped to their deaths from the nearby Hoover Dam bypass bridge since the span opened in October 2010. All of those deaths occurred in the first seven months of this year.
Contact reporter Mike Blasky at mblasky@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283.
