HURRICANE, UT — Search crews recovered the second of two women missing at Sand Hollow Reservoir on Friday, ending a dayslong search that began after a Jet Ski overturned earlier in the week. The Utah Department of Natural Resources Division of Law Enforcement said the woman was found at about 5 p.m. and confirmed dead.
Her recovery came one day after crews found the first missing woman at about 3 p.m. Wednesday. Officials said the operation concluded once both victims were located, though investigators are still examining how the incident unfolded and what happened on the water before the vessel capsized.
How the incident began on Sept. 15
Park rangers got a report of a possible drowning shortly after 4:20 p.m. Tuesday. According to a probable cause statement previously obtained by St. George News, Antonio Omari Lewis, 23, of Henderson, Nevada, was operating the Jet Ski with two female passengers and a dog when the craft struck a cross-wave and flipped.
The rollover ejected everyone on board. A bystander found Lewis in the water and brought him to shore, and responders were able to recover the dog. The two women did not resurface, prompting an immediate search by rescue teams at the reservoir.
Search crews battled thick vegetation and changing conditions
Crews searched through the evening of Sept. 15 and continued over the next several days with divers, sonar, aircraft and watercraft. Additional personnel and equipment were brought in as the search expanded across the reservoir, which sits in a popular recreation area in Washington County.
Capt. Chase Pili, public information officer for the Utah Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division, said tall vegetation made the recovery effort difficult. He described the sonar work as especially frustrating because teams could not easily see through the dense growth in the water.
“If we can’t see anything with that sonar equipment, it’s like finding a needle in a haystack right now,” Pili said.
Arrest followed allegations of impairment and reckless operation
Lewis was arrested early Sept. 16 and booked into Purgatory Correctional Facility on suspicion of two second-degree felony counts of automobile homicide and two misdemeanor counts of navigation wakeless speed and proximity violation. The case has since been forwarded to the Washington County Attorney’s Office for review and possible formal charges.
Investigators said Lewis showed possible signs of impairment after the crash, including bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and the smell of alcohol. According to the probable cause statement, he admitted drinking earlier in the day, completed field sobriety tests, refused a breath test and later gave a blood sample after officers obtained a warrant.
A broad regional response on the reservoir
As the search continued, more local and state agencies joined in. Teams included divers and search personnel from several counties, while helicopters and drones gave crews a view from above the reservoir. Officials said the effort grew as the operation became more complex and as conditions on the water shifted.
Pili said water searches can change quickly and demand constant adjustments. He noted that the difficulty is not just the size of the area, but how moving water, vegetation and visibility can change from one moment to the next.
Officials thank agencies that helped bring the search to a close
After the second recovery, the Utah Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division thanked the many agencies that helped, including the Washington County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue, Hurricane City Police Department, State Bureau of Investigation, Utah Highway Patrol Dive Team, Sanpete and Sevier County search and rescue teams, the Department of Public Safety Aero Bureau and Sand Hollow State Park staff.
The search ended with both women recovered, but the incident remains under investigation. Authorities have not released additional details about the women’s identities or the exact sequence of events that led to the Jet Ski overturning.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
