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Body of missing Lake Havasu swimmer found 32 feet underwater

Reports say the man jumped off the boat to go swimming and did not resurface on Saturday.

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. — The body of a man who failed to resurface after jumping off a boat at Lake Havasu this weekend has been found by rescue crews a day later.

The Mohave County Sheriff's Office said the man went missing on Oct. 8 after jumping off the boar to go swimming and never resurfaced. Crews searched the area he went missing on Saturday but were unable to locate the man.

The search continued on Sunday morning and divers were able to locate 47-year-old Michael Dean Phan under approximately 32 feet of water around 11:15 a.m. using sonar technology. 

Deputies say that when Phan went underwater, winds were gusting upward of 40 mph and waves were over three feet tall.

During their search on Saturday, divers encountered zero visibility with large trees at the bottom of the lake.

On Saturday (10/8), the Mohave County Sheriff's Office Division of Boating Safety responded to the area of the North...

Posted by Mohave County Sheriff's Office on Saturday, October 8, 2022

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Drowning Prevention Tips:

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children between ages 1-4 aside from birth defects, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Three children die every day as a result of drowning. Here are some tips from the CDC on how to protect children around water:

Learn life-saving skills. 

Everyone should know the basics of swimming (floating, moving through the water) and CPR. 

Fence it off. 

Install a four–sided isolation fence, with self–closing and self–latching gates, around backyard swimming pools. This can help keep children away from the area when they aren’t supposed to be swimming. Pool fences should be completely separate the house and play area from the pool. 

Life jackets are a must. 

Make sure kids wear life jackets in and around natural bodies of water, such as lakes or the ocean, even if they know how to swim. Life jackets can be used in and around pools for weaker swimmers too. 

Keep a close watch 

When kids are in or near water (including bathtubs), closely supervise them at all times. Because drowning happens quickly and quietly, adults watching kids in or near water should avoid distracting activities like reading books, talking on the phone, or using alcohol and drugs. 

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