This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Sweetwater County (Wyo.) Sheriff's Office has identified a man who drowned after falling through the ice at Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
Sheriff Mike Lowell said that the remains of John M. Henderson, 61, of Green River, Wyo., were recovered by divers about 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday, in the Lost Dog area south of Green River and north of the Utah-Wyoming border.
Henderson was ice-fishing on Monday afternoon when he broke through the ice. Two other men nearby heard his cries for help and tried to rescue him with a rope, then used a canoe to go out to where he had gone under the water.
Unsuccessful in attempts to find him, the two men then hiked to a higher spot where they could get cellphone reception and called 911.
Attempts to find Henderson on Monday were suspended at nightfall. Tuesday morning, members of the Sweetwater County Dive Team found Henderson's body about 100 yards from the west bank in approximately 40 feet of water.
Unseasonably warm temperatures of late likely contributed to unsafe ice conditions on the lake, Lowell said.
The upcoming weekend's 2015 Burbot Bash, a popular annual ice-fishing contest at the reservoir, was canceled Wednesday. The sponsoring Flaming Gorge Chamber blamed the decision on deteriorating and dangerous ice conditions.
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