News briefs for August 5, 2002

Monday, Aug. 5, 2002 | 9:45 a.m.

Northwest system cools off LV

A strong low-pressure system moved southeast from the Pacific Northwest on Sunday, lowering the normal Las Vegas Valley summer temperature by 7 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

The forecast for Southern Nevada through Wednesday calls for more wind and temperatures in the high 90s.

Today was expected to top out at 99 degrees with a low in the mid 70s.

On Sunday, a wind gust of 30 mph was recorded at McCarran International Airport at 1 p.m. Sunday's high temperature was 97 degrees.

By the weekend, however, temperatures are expected to return to the 104-degree range.

Man killed on river identified

A California man killed when his rented personal watercraft ran into a large tour boat last week was identified as 18-year-old Artavazd Bakhshyan.

Bakhshyan, of Los Angeles, was on a personal watercraft on the Colorado River in Laughlin on Thursday, near the Colorado Belle and Pioneer hotels.

The watercraft struck the USS Riverside, a large tour boat, throwing Bakhshyan and his brother, Robert Bakhshyan, 22, from the craft. The younger Bakhshyan suffered head injuries and died at the scene. His brother suffered a broken wrist.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation, but operator inexperience may have contributed to the accident, said Michael Geist, the investigating game warden with the Nevada Division of Wildlife.

Witnesses told authorities Bakhshyan was traveling south on the river at a high rate of speed when the craft swerved into the large boat. No one on the boat was injured, officials said.

Man presumed dead in Lake Mead

A 42-year-old Las Vegas man is missing and presumed dead in Lake Mead.

The man jumped from a boat about 10:30 p.m. Friday to go swimming after spending the day on the lake, National Park Service spokeswoman Karla Norris said.

The family heard his cries for help, but after circling the boat, could not find him. He was not wearing a life jacket at the time of the accident.

National Park Service rangers began searching for the man, including from the air by a Metro Police helicopter, but could not find him. The water is between 50 feet and 250 feet deep in the area.

The National Park Service is investigating four drownings that have occurred on the lake in the past two weeks.

"The problem with all of these incidents is we don't have exact locations," Norris said.

A sonar array is scheduled to be used at the lake Tuesday to search for the missing 42-year-old, Norris said. Sonar has already been employed in the search for the other three victims, but they were not located.

Website offers ballot information

Information on two ballot questions facing Boulder City voters in the Sept. 3 primary can be found on Clark County's website.

Audio files for issues voters will be asked to decide on in the general election will be available on the site at a later day. Currently, individuals can view text files of general election ballot language from the site (www.co.clark.nv.us/election).

Heller named VP for national group

Nevada Secretary of State Dean Heller has been named western regional vice president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, serving though July 2003.

Heller will also continue to serve as chairman of the association's securities committee. The association is a non-partisan professional organization with its membership including top state election officials.