Bodies of missing swimmers recovered in southern Utah

MOAB —The bodies of two swimmers missing in separate incidents in Southern Utah were recovered Wednesday.

Teri Elizabeth Jackson, 20, had been missing since July 16. She was last seen swimming in the Colorado River near the Hal Canyon campground area near Moab when friends heard her yelling for help.

They were unable to reach her, and she was swept down the river.

About 3:35 p.m. Wednesday, the Grand County Sheriff's Office was notified of a possible body along the shore about 7 ½ miles from the port of entry into the Colorado River.

The body was identified as Jackson's and taken to a local mortuary.

Earlier Wednesday, the body of 36-year-old Monty Nelson, of Monument Valley, was recovered in a remote area along the San Juan River near Mexican Hat.

Nelson was swimming on July 17 when he slipped on shore, hit his head on the rocks and rolled into the river.

His body wasn't seen again until Tuesday when rafters notified authorities they spotted it downstream from Mexican Hat. Cell connection with the rafters was lost, however, before an exact location could be established, according to the San Juan County Sheriff's Office.

Jackson's body was pulled out of the river by rafters and left in an area where they could find it after rendezvousing with law enforcers. A helicopter from Page, Ariz., was used to help remove the body from the area.

— Pat Reavy, Twitter: DNewsCrimeTeam