Powell teen dies in fall from Elk Basin pumpjack

POWELL (WNE) — A Powell area teenager died over the weekend, after he reportedly climbed on top of and fell from a piece of oil field equipment in Elk Basin. He was 17 years old.

In a news release, the Park County Sheriff’s Office said it was told that the teen died in a fall from “a moving pumpjack” in the Silvertip Oil Field north of Powell. The incident is believed to have occurred very early Saturday morning, said Park County Coroner Cody Gortmaker.

The sheriff’s office said a friend of the teen’s — who was present at the time of the accident — reported the death around 9:45 a.m. Saturday at the Powell Police Department.

The friend wasn’t sure of the teen’s exact location, the release said, so deputies, Park County Search and Rescue ground teams and an airplane were deployed to the area. The juvenile’s body was found shortly after 1 p.m.

While an official cause of death remained pending on Monday, preliminary indications are that the juvenile died from blunt force trauma suffered in the fall.

In Monday’s news release, Park County Sheriff Darrell Steward asked the community to “please keep the family in your thoughts during this difficult time.”

The sheriff’s office added that it’s continuing to investigate the incident.

This story was published on May 19, 2026.