Dad on vacation with family dies while saving his child from drowning in Utah lake

When two children on a family vacation started struggling to stay above the water while swimming, their father jumped in to help them.

The family from Palo Alto, California, was on vacation at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah. On Thursday, they rented a ski boat to tour Lake Powell and stopped in a cove to swim.

“The two children went swimming without life jackets and one of them began to struggle,” Utah officials said in a Friday news release. “The father, also not wearing a life jacket, jumped off the boat to rescue them.”

The dad, 49-year-old Phil Chiang, hoisted his children back onto the boat but then vanished underwater.

The mother called out for help, and three boats and several others came to assist.

“The victim was located after at least 10 minutes underwater,” officials said. “The good Samaritans moved the victim to the beach and began CPR.”

Park rangers arrived about 10 minutes later but couldn’t resuscitate him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

His body was taken to the Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office in Salt Lake City for an autopsy, officials said. The incident is under investigation, and officials gave no additional information on the family.

“All boaters are reminded to always wear life jackets when boating and recreating on or around water,” officials said. “Life jackets save lives.”

Boating is the most popular activity for tourists at Glen Canyon, according to the National Park Service. Almost 2 million visitors boat on Lake Powell, and all boaters are required to carry life jackets.

This story was originally published August 9, 2021 at 12:05 PM with the headline "Dad on vacation with family dies while saving his child from drowning in Utah lake."