A local family is reeling following a tragic boating accident on an Arizona lake in which two 4-year-old boys and their grandmother died after becoming trapped under a capsized pontoon boat, authorities said.
The incident unfolded on in the afternoon on July 26 at the mouth of Navajo Canyon on Lake Powell, a man-made reservoir on the Colorado River that straddles the border between southern Utah and northern Arizona, according to a news release from the National Park Service .
A 25-foot privately-owned pontoon boat was being towed by another boater when waves contributed to the pontoon boat capsizing, trapping several of the 11 passengers onboard under the overturned vessel, the news release said.
The National Park Service Glen Canyon Regional Communications Center was alerted to the overturned vessel around 3:18 p.m. and responded immediately, “observing a member of the party on top of the pontoon boat and others in the water, with some of the party unaccounted for,” according to the news release.
Nearby boaters assisted in retrieving victims out of the water and responding Glen Canyon Rangers and Page Fire Department personnel provided emergency medical attention at the scene, authorities said.
Heartbreakingly, two 4-year-old boys, Gabriel Hart, of Pocatello, and Zeniff Cox, of the Kanab, Utah, area, and 72-year-old Melissa “Missy” Hayhurst Cox Bean, also of Kanab, died in the tragic accident, according to a GoFundMe page launched for the families by a relative. Bean was the grandmother of both Gabriel and Zeniff, according to the online fundraiser.
Additionally, Zeniff’s older sister, Audrey Cox, 7, of Kanab, was flown by emergency helicopter to a nearby hospital and is currently in a medically-induced coma in an intensive care unit, the GoFundMe states.
“The road ahead is uncertain and filled with many challenges for all families involved, both emotional and financial,” according to the GoFundMe.
Bean’s husband, Roland “Rock” Bean was also flown via emergency helicopter to an area hospital and is receiving treatment for the injuries he sustained during the accident, according to the online fundraiser. An update on his condition has not yet been provided.
As of Wednesday evening, the fundraiser, accessible by visiting gofund.me/57c63de2 , had earned $85,707 of its $100,000 goal.
The relative who launched the GoFundMe stated on the page that the funds will be used for funeral expenses for Melissa Bean, Gabriel and Zeniff. It will also assist with extensive medical care that Audrey will require as she receives critical treatment and support and to assist Pocatello residents Daniel and Alysha Hart, Gabriel’s parents, as well as Utah residents Matt and Liz Cox, the parents of Zeniff and Audrey.
“No amount is too small, and every donation is deeply appreciated,” the fundraiser page says. “Your generosity will help us honor the memories of our loved ones and provide the necessary care and support for Audrey as she continues to fight and heal in the ICU.”
The National Park Service thanked its partners at Big Water Fire for assisting dispatch by receiving fire and medical calls, the Kane County Sheriff’s Department for assisting in providing information while Glen Canyon NPS Rangers, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and Page Fire Department were responding to the incident.
The incident is currently under investigation by the National Park Service, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The National Park Service and Coconino County Sheriff’s Office also expressed its condolences to the families.
“From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your kindness, love and support during this heart-wrenching time,” the online fundraiser said.
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