A medical helicopter is seen as police and paramedics respond to a drowning on Bear Lake’s Ideal Beach, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Garden City, Utah. | Utah DNR Division of Law Enforcement

EastIdahoNews.com

A 17-year-old Arizona boy died while paddleboarding at Bear Lake on Saturday afternoon.

At approximately 3:26 p.m., officials responded to a drowning at Ideal Beach. The boy, who was not wearing a life jacket, fell off his paddleboard and became separated from it, according to a press release from the Utah Department of Natural Resources Division of Law Enforcement.

The boy was recovered by first responders who attempted lifesaving measures, but they were unsuccessful.

The department called the drowning “a tragic and unfortunate measure,” and extended condolences to the boy’s family and friends. The incident remains under investigation, the release said.