MOUNTAIN PARK, OK. (THECOUNT) — Jason Ray Laird, 50, of Mountain View, Oklahoma, has been identified as the man who died Thursday after falling into Tom Steed Reservoir when the engine of his paraglider failed in Kiowa County.
The incident occurred at approximately 6:55 p.m. September 24 near Mountain Park, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
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Investigators said Laird was flying over the reservoir on a paraglider when an engine failure caused him to fall into the water.
Bystanders rescued Laird from the reservoir before he was transported by Survival Flight to Jackson County Memorial Hospital. He was later pronounced deceased by hospital staff after suffering injuries in the incident.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol described the incident as a possible drowning investigation. However, the available report states that Laird died after being rescued and transported to the hospital; an official determination regarding the precise cause and manner of death had not been provided.
The Kiowa County Sheriff’s Office, Oklahoma State Parks and Survival Flight EMS assisted the Oklahoma Highway Patrol with the investigation.
No additional information about the engine failure, the paraglider, or the circumstances surrounding Laird’s fall had been released.
Tom Steed Reservoir is located in Kiowa County in southwestern Oklahoma, near the communities of Mountain Park and Snyder. The reservoir is approximately three miles from Mountain Park and about six miles northwest of Snyder.
Google Maps: Tom Steed Reservoir near Mountain Park, Oklahoma
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