The body of a 14-year-old boy who went missing at Hyrum State Park on Sunday was recovered early Monday.
The child, Conner Bowden, had last been seen at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday near the Hyrum Dam beach area. Authorities with the Cache County Sheriff’s Office, Utah Department of Public Safety and Utah State Parks began searching for him that afternoon.
On Monday morning, a dive team with the Utah Department of Public Safety found his body underneath a dock near Hyrum Dam. A medical examiner will determine his cause of death, although he is currently assumed to have drowned, said Cache County Lt. Mikelshan Bartschi.
Bowden’s family did “everything right,” Bartschi said. They swam in the designated area and younger children were wearing life jackets. However, due to snowmelt and higher levels of rain, Utah waterways can be unpredictable this year, he said.
“The height of the water is different than any years past,” Bartschi said. “Even if you are familiar with your typical swimming hole, it’s not the same as it has been.”
In a news release, the Cache County Sheriff’s office offered condolences to Bowden’s family and friends, and thanked everyone who participated in the search.
Anyone interested in contributing to Conner’s funeral expenses may do so via America First Credit Union, where an account has been opened in his name, authorities said.
This marked the second child recovered from a reservoir in the past two days. A 17-year-old boy’s body was found Sunday at the Ogden Bay Waterfowl Management Area in Weber County, where authorities said he most likely drowned after being pulled down by a strong undercurrent, FOX 13 reported.
