News Release

Cliff Jumping Fatality at Lake Powell

News Release Date: July 21, 2023

Contact: Mary Plumb, 906-608-6200

Contact: Alan Alldredge, Kane County Sheriff’s Office, [phone]

On Thursday, July 20, 2023, at approximately 11:43 a.m., the National Park Service (NPS) Glen Canyon Communications Center received a 911 call reporting a possible cliff jumping fatality approximately one-quarter mile south of Buoy 89 on Lake Powell within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Buoy 89 is located in Kane County, Utah approximately 89 miles from the Glen Canyon Dam. The victim has been identified as Cory Ryan Ehrnschwender, a 36-year-old male from Cincinnati, Ohio.  

Witnesses reported observing a person cliff-jump from a height of approximately 50 feet, who then failed to resurface. An initial hasty search was conducted by Glen Canyon National Recreation Area rangers, and officers from the Utah Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and Kane County Sheriff’s Office. On Friday, July 21, 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. (Utah time), in about 30 feet of water. 

The deceased 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 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. 

People who recreate on or around Lake Powell are advised it is prohibited to jump or dive off rock cliffs, ledges, or man-made structures (excluding vessels) from a height of 15 feet or more from the surface of the water. More safety information is available here: Safety - Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)