Police and firefighters searched the Bridgewater Channel for about 20 minutes before locating the unresponsive 13-year-old beneath the water.
LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. — Civilian boat operators joined police and firefighters in a search beneath London Bridge after witnesses reported a 13-year-old boy had jumped into the water Tuesday morning, part of a rescue effort that ended with the teen being found underwater about 20 minutes later.
The Lake Havasu City boy was initially taken to a local hospital in critical condition and later flown to Las Vegas for further treatment. Police said they were notified early Wednesday that he had died from his injuries. His name had not been released as of Friday, and investigators had not said what led to the reported jump.
Bystanders alerted authorities at about 8:52 a.m. Aug. 11 after seeing the juvenile jump from London Bridge and fail to remain at the surface, according to Lake Havasu City. Witnesses reported that he went underwater, briefly resurfaced and disappeared beneath the water again.
Police and Lake Havasu City Fire Department personnel began searching the shoreline and surrounding waters after arriving. Civilian boat operators supplied vessels to support the search-and-rescue operation, while a fire department crew member entered the water with lakeshore rescue equipment to conduct an underwater search.
At about 9:12 a.m., responders located the boy underwater. Authorities said he was unresponsive. Police and fire personnel removed him from the water and placed him on a boat, where crews began lifesaving measures and advanced life support emergency care.
The boy was taken to Havasu Regional Medical Center in critical condition. He was then transported by air to Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas for further treatment. The Lake Havasu City Police Department said it received word early Aug. 12 that he had died.
Sgt. Kyle Ridgway, a police department spokesperson, confirmed that the boy was 13 and was a Lake Havasu City resident. Authorities have not released his identity. Police also have not disclosed the nature of his injuries or provided additional information about events immediately preceding the reported jump.
The department said the investigation remains active and that releasing further information could interfere with that work. As a result, significant questions about the circumstances of the incident remain unanswered. Police have not announced a motive or made any finding about why the boy entered the water.
The rescue unfolded at one of Lake Havasu City’s most recognizable locations. London Bridge crosses the Bridgewater Channel, linking the mainland with an island developed along the Colorado River reservoir. The stone landmark was purchased from the City of London by Lake Havasu City founder Robert P. McCulloch in 1968.
More than 10,000 exterior granite blocks from the bridge were dismantled and shipped to Arizona, where they were used on a reconstructed bridge built around a modern supporting structure. The Lake Havasu City bridge was dedicated in October 1971 and has since become a major landmark for the community.
Authorities had not announced further developments in the investigation as of Friday. Police said additional information would be made public when it becomes available and can be released without compromising the investigation.
Author note: Last updated August 14, 2026.