Rangers recover North Las Vegas teen’s body in Lake Mohave

The body of a 17-year-old boy who was last seen swimming Tuesday afternoon in Lake Mohave was recovered by rescue divers Wednesday morning, according to the National Park Service.

Park rangers received a 911 call from a witness about 5:20 p.m. saying the teenager went underwater and never resurfaced.

The boy, from North Las Vegas, was cliff diving with a group of friends near Placer Cove, according to a news release. The group decided to swim across Morning Star Cove to another cliff about 50 yards away when the teen started to struggle.

Friends took turns trying to help him to safety, but couldn’t hold on and he slipped underwater, the release said.

Because of the lack of visibility underwater at night, recovery efforts were postponed until the morning, according to the release. Rangers and police searched the area and located the body using sonar equipment.

The boy’s body was recovered at 11:11 a.m. He was not wearing a life jacket, according to the release.

The Clark County coroner’s office will release the boy’s identity after family has been notified.

This is the third cliff diving-related fatality at the Lake Mead Recreational Area this year and second at Morning Star Cove.

Contact Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638. Find him on Twitter: @ColtonLochhead.