HURRICANE, UT — Police recovered the body of one of two women who disappeared in Sand Hollow Reservoir earlier this week, while crews kept searching Thursday for the second missing woman.
The Utah Department of Natural Resources Division of Law Enforcement said officers found the body around 3 p.m. The search remains active after the pair went missing in the wake of a Jet Ski accident.
Authorities have identified the people involved in the incident by age, but have not released more details about the recovery or the conditions in the reservoir. Officials said the case is still developing.
How the Jet Ski ride turned into a search at Sand Hollow
The two women, ages 26 and 28, were among four people on the Jet Ski when the accident happened. Their coworker, 23-year-old Antonio Omari Lewis, was also on board, along with one of the women’s dogs.
None of the people on the Jet Ski were wearing life jackets, according to authorities. The missing women were reported after the accident in Sand Hollow Reservoir, a popular recreation area in Washington County.
Officials have not publicly described the exact sequence of events that led to the crash. What is clear is that the accident quickly became a search-and-rescue operation when the women did not come back.
Authorities say the Jet Ski operator was arrested Wednesday
Lewis was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of automobile homicide after police said he was operating the Jet Ski while under the influence of alcohol. Authorities have not said whether additional charges are being considered.
The arrest added a criminal investigation to the broader recovery effort at the reservoir. Law enforcement officials have linked Lewis to the accident, but the focus at the scene remained on locating the two missing women.
Police have not released further information about Lewis’ condition, statements, or where the arrest took place. The case is being handled alongside the ongoing search operation.
Friends say one of the women was pregnant with twins
Friends of the women said one of them was 4½ months pregnant with twins when the accident happened. That detail has added to the emotional weight surrounding the disappearance and recovery effort.
Authorities have not confirmed any further information about the pregnancy, and they have not released the names of the women. The missing passengers remained the center of concern as recovery teams continued their work Thursday.
The fact that one woman has now been recovered gives investigators a partial picture of what happened, but it also underscores how much remains unknown about the final moments of the accident.
Why Sand Hollow became the focus of an urgent recovery effort
Sand Hollow Reservoir draws visitors for boating, swimming and other warm-weather recreation, which makes water safety a recurring concern. In this case, the lack of life jackets was one of the most important details investigators have publicly confirmed.
The accident happened earlier this week, and by Thursday afternoon the search had become a race against time for the second missing woman. Crews were still working the area after the body recovery was announced.
Officials have not said when the search might end or what methods were being used on Thursday. For now, the incident remains a mix of recovery, investigation and unanswered questions.
What investigators have said so far about the case
Law enforcement officials have released only limited information as they continue to piece together the crash and its aftermath. The state agency’s division said the recovery was made Thursday afternoon and that the search for the second woman was still underway.
The women were missing after the Jet Ski accident, Lewis was arrested on suspicion of automobile homicide, and the passengers were not wearing life jackets. Those are the core facts confirmed by authorities so far.
Investigators have not provided a timeline for additional updates, but KSL said the story would be updated as new details are released. The most immediate question remains the location of the second missing woman.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
