A tragic accident occurred at Woods Canyon Lake in Coconino County when a man fell through the ice and consequently died, with officials recovering his body the following day. The Coconino County Sheriff's Office, assisted by several rescue teams, reported the incident, confirming that the victim was a 26-year-old man, the name of whom has not been released. According to an interview given to FOX 10 Phoenix, the incident occurred on Sunday around 3:15 p.m., while the recovery happened just after 10 a.m. on December 23.
While initially identified as an ASU student, the sheriff's office later would not confirm this detail. When the sheriff's office was first informed, alongside two others who thankfully made it to safety after also falling in, the 26-year-old remained missing despite search attempts. Highlighting the dangers of such precarious environments, spokesperson Jon Paxton advised, in a statement obtained by FOX 10 Phoenix, to “avoid going out on the ice altogether,” especially with warmer winter weather affecting the stability of the iced-over lake.
In an interview given to FOX 10 Phoenix, witness Reza Ebrahimi described the heart-wrenching turn of events, where families enjoying a pre-Christmas outing were met with a scene shifting swiftly from peaceful to chaotic. Desperate efforts ensued as life jackets and makeshift rescues were attempted, but the man could not be saved.
Witnesses, shocked by the suddeness of the accident, quickly tried reaching the man, throwing life jackets that he was unable to catch. "Honestly, I couldn't sleep last night," Ebrahimi told FOX 10 Phoenix, expressing the profound impact witnessing such an event had on him. While investigating, the Coconino County Sheriff's Office has indicated they believe the incident was an accident, with the official cause of death pending determination by the medical examiner. The man's body was found subsequent to a continued search that resumed early the following day, as noted by ABC15 Arizona.
