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Police identify man who died after falling from Lake Powell’s Willow Gulch

Police have identified an Arizona man who died last month as a result of a fall at Lake Powell.

Witnesses saw Cory James Christensen, 49, fall from Willow Gulch in the Escalante Arm of Lake Powell on Oct. 8. People on a nearby boat tried to help him, but a medical professional on the boat pronounced him dead upon recovery.

The Kane County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that Christensen fell 350-400 feet.

The Sheriff’s Office said information and keys from Christensen’s backpack led them to his car. It was parked 35 miles from the place where he fell. There were bike parts in his backpack. Investigators say he may have biked from his car to the place where he fell. They believe he was traveling alone based on witnesses who saw him in other places while he was traveling.

His death is under investigation by the Kane County Sheriff’s Office, National Park Service, and the Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office. Investigators are asking anyone with information about this case to contact the Kane County Sheriff’s Office at 435-644-2349.

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