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Keaton Howard, 5 year-old boy killed on Lake Powell by boat propeller

Keaton Howard

Keaton Howard

Keaton Howard, a 5 year old American Fork Utah boy, out with his family on Lake Powell was riding in the bow of a boat about 6:30pm Friday June 28th, 2013. The boat hit a wave, Keaton was ejected, struck in the head by the propeller, and killed instantly.

The boat propeller accident happened near buoy 110 in the Tapesty Wall area of Lake Powell, uplake of Bullfrog Marina. The accident happened inside Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in the State of Utah.

Officials note that everyone onboard was wearing a life jacket and alcohol was not involved.

Keaton Howard’s family issued a statement today (July 2nd):

“Our hearts are broken as we mourn at this time of trial. We love Keaton and his bright personality. He was and is our little man. As a family of faith, we take comfort in our knowledge of God’s love for him and for us. We continue to love him and pray for peace and comfort for all who knew him. As we mourn together, we find joy in remembering the light he is in our lives.”

Keaton loved to read, so in lieu of flowers, the family has asked the public to donate a children’s book to American Heritage School in American Fork, Utah.

Below is a map of the accident location relative to Bullfrog Marina.


View Keaton Howard Boat Propeller Accident in a larger map

In the United States, media coverage of this accident has been mostly limited to the region surrounding Lake Powell. We noticed the Daily Mail (Mail Online) covered the accident with feature story and several photos in their July 3 edition in the United Kingdom. The UK is strongly focused on propeller accidents following the Milligan accident there in early May.

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