SOUTHERN NEVADA — The National Park Service suspended dive team operations at Lake Mead National Recreation Area in mid-May 2026. The suspension was enacted without a public announcement.

The agency attributed the decision to staffing shortages and unmet equipment and training needs. A letter sent to dive employees on May 14, 2026, stated that the team's membership was insufficient to safely or reliably support dive operations in accordance with National Park Service standards. During the suspension, the agency will conduct an assessment of staffing availability and an audit of the program's safety, training, equipment, and operations.

Local agencies, including the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Search and Rescue Dive Team, will handle dive-related incidents and requests during this period. A National Park Service spokesperson said, "The park remains committed to maintaining public safety and ensuring operational readiness through these cooperative arrangements."

At least a dozen staff members have been cut from the recreation area under the Trump administration. The park attracts more than 6 million visitors annually. A report ranked the site as one of the deadliest managed by the National Park Service, with an average of 20 deaths per year between 2007 and 2024. Most of these fatalities were caused by drowning. The statistics include deaths that occurred at the Hoover Dam and the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge.

A study found that approximately 7 percent of national park deaths in the United States between 2013 and 2023 occurred at Lake Mead. Incidents in 2026 included a Las Vegas man who drowned after falling off an inflatable raft being pulled by a boat, a Henderson man who drowned while swimming without a lifejacket, and another Las Vegas man who drowned while swimming. Additionally, a boater disappeared in 2026 after jumping in the water to help another struggling swimmer.