Arizona man drowns along San Juan River in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

SAN JUAN COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — An Arizona man was found dead after being swept away down the San Juan River on the Utah side of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

On Sunday, June 8, around 3 p.m., the 50-year-old man from Kayenta, Arizona, was “overtaken by river currents,” according to a press release from the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The man was downstream of the Paiute Farms Wash in the San Juan River in Utah.

He was recovered from the river and pronounced deceased. Authorities presume that he drowned. The Navajo Nation Police Department was the lead agency in the search and recovery of the man, and Glen Canyon rangers also assisted.

“Our sympathies go to the family, friends, and our local communities impacted by this loss,”
Jake Ohlson, acting superintendent, is quoted in the release.

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area extended its thanks to the Navajo Nation Police Department, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Land Management Canyon Country District – Monticello Field Office, Intermountain Health, and Utah Department of Public Safety.

Rangers at Glen Canyon are also reminding visitors that water currents can be “deceptively strong” and recommend finding out more about water safety on their website.