ST. GEORGE — The body of a Cincinnati man who reportedly died cliff jumping at Lake Powell was recovered Friday by emergency personnel.
Cory Ryan Ehrnschwender, 36, was recreating approximately one-quarter mile south of Buoy 89 on Lake Powell within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area on Thursday when he jumped into the water but failed to resurface, according to a news release from the National Park Service and the Kane County Sheriff’s Office.
The NPS Glen Canyon Communications Center received a 911 call at approximately 11:43 a.m. after witnesses reported observing a person cliff-jump from a height of approximately 50 feet. An initial hasty search was conducted by Glen Canyon National Recreation Area rangers, officers from the Utah Department of Natural Resources and Kane County Sheriff’s Office, the news release said.
On Friday, the Utah Department of Public Safety Dive Team used a side scan sonar to locate the victim, and divers recovered his body at approximately 10:20 a.m. in about 30 feet of water.
Ehrnschwender’s body was transported by DNR officers to Bullfrog, Utah, for transfer of custody to the Utah State Medical Examiner in Salt Lake City for an autopsy. The incident is under investigation by the Kane County Sheriff’s Office, Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office and National Park Service, the news release said.
The NPS advises people who recreate on or around Lake Powell they are prohibited from jumping or diving off rock cliffs, ledges or man-made structures (excluding vessels) from a height of 15 feet or more from the surface of the water.
Included in the news release was the following message from responding agencies:
The National Park Service and Kane County Sheriff’s Office express our condolences to the victim’s family and friends. Also, appreciation to the Department of Public Safety Dive Team and Utah Department of Natural Resources for their quick response and assistance with this difficult operation. No further information is available at this time.