Search continues for missing person after 2 jumped into Tempe Town Lake

Two adults jumped into Tempe Town Lake late Sunday night, but only one has resurfaced.

Tempe police responded to reports at about 11:50 p.m. that someone had jumped off Mill Avenue Bridge into the lake. When they arrived, fire officials and officers found one man in the water and removed him.

The man told police that his friend had also jumped into the lake but did not resurface. The search for the other person continued as of Monday morning.

It is unclear if impairment was a factor in the incident.

This comes within a year of Tempe announcing that it would add new water rescue equipment, improve training and adjust its policies following the death of Sean Bickings, who drowned in the lake in May 2022.

On May 28, Bickings, 34, walked into the water away from officers who had responded to a call about a couple fighting. In the water, Bickings began to ask for help, shouting that he was going to drown.

Officers on the other side of the railing shouted for him to swim to a pylon and another eventually went for a boat unit. Neither entered the water nor found a way to pull him up. Bickings died in the water.

In August, Tempe announced the new water rescue measures. These include the installation of water rescue rings connected to ropes around Tempe Town Lake and Kiwanis Lake, according to a city news release. Officers would also receive more training on how to use rescue equipment.

Another drowning incident occurred early this month at a public lake near Dobson Ranch Golf Course in Mesa where a man attempted to retrieve a basketball from the water but never resurfaced.

Water safety is important to remember during the summer months. Adults can be at risk in lakes or open water when impaired, swimming alone, or unaware of how to swim.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Search continues for person who jumped into Tempe Town Lake