1 dead, 1 critical in separate weekend incidents at Lake Mead
A man died and a boy nearly drowned in separate weekend incidents — which included at least 15 rescues on Sunday — at Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
An unidentified 30-year-old man from Mexico City was killed in an “apparent” vehicular crash at mile marker 20 on Northshore Road around 3 p.m., according to the National Park Service. A park visitor found him unconscious and called authorities.
National Park Service park rangers and the Nevada Highway Patrol responded. The collision is still under investigation, but the Park Service said speed contributed. The man was not wearing a seat belt.
A 12-year-old boy is in critical condition after nearly drowning at Cottonwood Cove on Lake Mohave on the Arizona side. An emergency caller said bystanders tried to save the boy and started taking him to a hospital about 2:20 p.m. Mohave County sheriff’s deputies later took the boy to a hospital in Kingman, Ariz. He was later flown to Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas.
The boy did not wear a flotation device.
A 5-year-old girl is in fair condition after nearly drowning at Special Events Beach on Lake Mead around 1 p.m. The girl was carried approximately 200 feet from the shore while playing on a knee board. Two bystanders who initially tried to rescue her were flipped off their personal water craft. According to National Park Service, a ranger grabbed her from four feet underwater.
The girl, who also was not wearing a flotation device, was transported to a hospital and the two bystanders who flipped their water craft were rescued by Nevada Department of Wildlife game wardens.
Wind gusts were reported to be between 20 to 30 mph Sunday by The National Weather Service.
A 23-year-old injured hiker also was rescued along Gold Strike Canyon Trail.
Officials from the National Park Service and Bureau of Reclamation got a call at around 5:45 p.m. and reached the man, with the help of Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Search and Rescue, shortly before 8 p.m., 1.5 miles from the trailhead.
He was taken to a hospital.
Contact Ricardo Torres at rtorres@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0381. Find him on Twitter: @rickytwrites.
