Winds thwart Utah Lake search
Hunt for West Jordan man will resume today
Craig Decker, 25, jumped into the water about a mile west of Utah State Park Marina to recover some equipment and did not resurface, Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon said. Decker was sailing with his parents on an 8-foot catamaran and jumped into about 10 feet of water.
Police were called around 7 p.m., and a search lasted until dark. Searchers returned to the lake Sunday, but weather caused them to call off their efforts around 2 p.m.
Searchers had used motorboats and wave runners to look for the man but were relying on technology as the search efforts shifted into a recovery effort Sunday.
"The conditions just aren't conducive to using sonar," Cannon said. "We've got those resources coming back in the morning, and we hope to have more success."
Decker, of West Jordan, was a student at Brigham Young University.
On New Year's Eve in 2006, Decker lost his right hand after a firework he was holding exploded. Police were unsure if the prothesis he wore played any part in his drowning.
Cannon said Decker may have inhaled some water or hurt himself on some debris in the water.
Decker joked about losing his hand in a Deseret News story last year, calling himself "the poster boy for fireworks safety."
He was fitted for a prosthesis with a hook and decided to host a pirate party. "It's kind of like when life hands you lemons, make lemonade," he said. "If you have to have a hook, have a pirate party."
E-mail: afalk@desnews.com
Recent comments
It would be nice to have an update on this story. It looked to me...
DB | July 7, 2008 at 10:19 p.m.
No, Craig was in the Provo area when the Roman Candle exploded in...
anonymous | July 7, 2008 at 12:34 p.m.
Craig was on vacation in mexico when he lost his hand.
Anonymous | July 7, 2008 at 12:24 p.m.
