Man drowns while paddle boarding with family at Quail Creek Reservoir
Aug 23, 2024, 7:18 PM | Updated: Aug 25, 2024, 12:21 pm
HURRICANE — A 49-year-old man is dead after being blown off his paddle board and was unable to resurface Friday afternoon.
The victim was identified Sunday as Pedro Castillo from Cedar City.
Catillo was camping with his wife and daughter in the Quail Creek State Park area and paddled onto the Quail Creek Reservoir.
Chavez said strong winds threw all three of them off their board into the water. They were not wearing life jackets, Utah State Parks said.
A bystander and a Utah Division of Recreation park ranger went to help the family out of the water, after seeing the boards blowing away. Castillo’s wife and daughter resurfaced quickly, but the ranger approached to find him face down in the water. Utah State Parks said he had been face down that way for approximately 30 seconds before the ranger could get to him.
The ranger and bystander helped his wife and daughter onto the ranger’s boat safely and immediately began performing CPR on Castillo. Further life-saving efforts continued as they approached a boat dock, and other rangers joined in.
A medical helicopter was dispatched, but Castillo was pronounced dead at the scene just after 5 p.m.
