Midvale man remembering husband who died in Lake Powell houseboat accident
Aug 31, 2024, 8:55 AM | Updated: 1:42 pm
MIDVALE — A family is grieving over a Midvale man’s death after a houseboat accident on Lake Powell. The victim’s husband explains what he’s now holding onto, after a fun trip turned into a tragedy.
Looking down at his phone, Wyatt Hendricks sat in his home and scrolled through hundreds of photos, bringing back memories of special moments with Jackson Law.
The couple met just before the pandemic — Hendricks said Law impressed him with an excellent charcuterie board on the first date — and got married in September 2023.
The photos showed Law’s proposal to Hendricks in Puerto Vallarta and their wedding in Utah.
“He just had this really just sweet, genuine energy, and he was so calming,” Hendricks said, of what drew him to Law. “He was just really refreshing to be around.”
They bought a house, adding two cats, a dog and a bird to the family. Hendricks said owning a home was Law’s dream, and that Law loved house projects. They had big plans for renovations.
“We built a life together,” Hendricks said. “We were so excited.”
Hendricks, left, and Law, right, in their home with their pets (Wyatt Hendricks)
Last week, the two took a trip to Lake Powell, spending a week on a houseboat in a group of a dozen.
“We went with our best friends, and it was so much fun,” Hendricks said. After a busy few months, he said they really needed that time together.
The trip included exploring the lake, finding peaceful and secluded areas to relax, jumping off rope swings, movies when it rained and stargazing under the night sky.
“It was just so wonderful and magical,” Hendricks said. “I just couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend the week with him.”
He didn’t know the memories he and Law made would be their last moments together.
“I think the hardest part about this whole thing… it doesn’t feel real,” Hendricks said.
What happened at the end of their trip is just too traumatic for him to talk about.
The National Park Service said Law fell overboard about 20 feet from the upper level of the houseboat early Sunday morning.
The National Park Service and San Juan County Sheriff’s Office responded, saying in a press release that crews searched by helicopter for Law but couldn’t find him.
A dive team recovered his body several hours later.
The responding agencies did not have any more information, saying they were investigating the incident and expressed condolences to Law’s family.
Law’s death came just weeks before the couple’s first wedding anniversary.
“It’s really, really hard,” Hendricks said, through tears. “Nobody should have to do this when they’re 26, and they’re not even married for a year.”
Law’s family is also reeling. Hendricks said one of Law’s sisters died suddenly and tragically years ago, in a car accident three days before Christmas.
“That shook their family to the core. And she was his best friend, and they were the closest in age,” Hendricks said. “The hardest thing I’ve ever done was calling his mom. That was really, really awful.”
Law, left, and Hendricks, right, during their Lake Powell houseboat trip (Wyatt Hendricks)
Since last weekend’s accident, hundreds have rallied around Hendricks. He talked about how friends, family, and his realtor community started organizing fundraisers, meals, even offering to help around the house.
A colleague in his brokerage created a GoFundMe to help ease the financial burden.
“I didn’t realize how loved he was and how loved I was until I saw just the overwhelming support that just came from every direction and every corner,” Hendricks said.
The group on the houseboat trip, he expressed, have especially been holding him up.
“We all just had a really scary experience together, and they have not left my side since it happened,” Hendricks said. “I just feel the love from them, and from everyone.”
Hendricks said it’s comforting knowing the last days he spent with Law were really great — that’s what he’ll always remember.
“Hold onto your loved ones and appreciate them. Tell them you love them and give them hugs,” Hendricks said. “Just want everybody to treasure those little moments, because they’re special.”
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