Jason Harper Obituary, Death; – Edmond police have identified a man who tragically lost his life in Arcadia Lake after jumping into the water to cool off.
The deceased has been named as Jason Harper, 51, as confirmed by Edmond police spokesperson Emily Ward. She stated that he was a local resident, although she could not specify the exact city. Furthermore, she indicated that there were no indications of foul play, suggesting that the incident was likely accidental.
Nichole Jobe-Harper, who according to court documents was recently divorced from Jason Harper, speculates that a medical issue may have contributed to the accident. She shared on Facebook that he was an accomplished swimmer who had trained with the Navy. She noted that the exact cause of death would remain unknown until the autopsy is completed. Jobe-Harper also mentioned that Jason Harper was the father of three children.
Jobe-Harper did not respond to requests for comments.
On Saturday, June 28, Jason Harper and a woman were boating on the lake in Edmond. According to police reports, Harper jumped into the water to cool off but struggled to swim due to the rough lake conditions, as stated by Ward. The boat drifted away from him, and the woman was unable to operate it. Ward added that the woman attempted to throw a line to him, but her efforts were unsuccessful.
Edmond police were alerted around 2 p.m. and initiated a rescue operation to find the man, according to Ward. After an hour of searching, the police shifted to a recovery mission due to the duration of the man’s disappearance. The police department’s dive team, along with the Edmond Fire Department’s dive team, utilized drones to check if he had been washed ashore, as reported by Ward.
The search was suspended just before 9 p.m. on Saturday and resumed at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol provided advanced sonar equipment, taking into account environmental factors and underwater currents, and successfully located the man’s body at the lake’s bottom. The Edmond Police Department’s dive team recovered Harper’s body shortly before 1 p.m. on Sunday.
At the time of the incident, he was not wearing a life jacket, as stated by Ward.
