A 60-year-old woman lost an arm and several others were injured Thursday afternoon after strong winds blew over houseboat at Lake Powell on the Utah-Arizona border.
About 1 p.m. Thursday, multiple calls from different locations in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area reported a microburst — a rapid, powerful downdraft of wind — to dispatchers, said National Parks Service spokeswoman Mary Plumb.
The most severe injuries occurred when the microburst pushed a 75-foot houseboat carrying 14 people to shore and blew it over near Padre Canyon, Plumb said.
A 60-year-old woman on board suffered a severe arm injury that required amputation at a hospital, and a 57-year-old woman suffered head and hip injuries. Others were thrown off the boat by the draft.
Another person, near Gunsight, suffered a dislocated shoulder, Plumb said. Calls also came in from the Sand King and Lone Rock areas of the park, she said.
Several private water vessels also overturned during the microburst, Plumb said. Those with injuries were transported to Page Hospital in Page, Ariz.
While park officials were continuing to sort through the reports Thursday night, Plumb said that everyone involved had been assisted and accounted for.
Park officials are cautioning patrons to be ”very safety conscious” and “be aware” of the weather forecast, Plumb said. She noted that there‘d been some reports of severe weather on the north part of Lake Powell on Thursday night.
The National Weather Service says the 56 mph microburst swept through the region in about a minute accompanied by rain showers.
A news release from the Arizona’s Coconino County Sheriff’s Office said, ”The most serious water-related injuries and damage appear to have occurred in the Utah jurisdiction of the lake.”
Page police Lt. Larry Jones says the wind knocked down trees across the city, and damaged some fencing, roofing and signs.
Contributing: The Associated Press