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Armik Aghakhani Receives Heartfelt Thank You After Lake Powell Rescue
19 Aug 2026
When people think about rescues, they often picture helicopters, emergency crews, and dramatic moments.
Those moments certainly mattered on July 15 at Lake Powell.
But sometimes the part people remember most comes afterward.
For Armik Aghakhani and his family, the rescue ended weeks ago. The injured passengers received medical care. The stranded family returned home. Life slowly began returning to normal.
Then a handwritten letter arrived.
It came from Naomi, one of the young girls who had been aboard the boat that struck a submerged rock during the accident.
Written in pencil on lined notebook paper, the letter did not focus on helicopters or dramatic rescues.
Instead, it focused on something much simpler.
Kindness.
A Vacation Changed in an Instant
Armik Aghakhani and his family had been celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary during a houseboat vacation on Lake Powell.
Late in the day, they watched another boat carrying several adults and young children strike a large submerged rock after low lake levels exposed the hazard.
Two women were seriously injured after being thrown from the boat.
With darkness approaching, the damaged boat began taking on water.
The family had no cell phone service.
Without hesitation, Armik and his family launched two personal watercraft and began moving passengers to safety.
Over the next three hours, they transported every passenger to their houseboat, contacted emergency responders, helped provide first aid, coordinated with National Park Service personnel, and later assisted paramedics as two medical helicopters evacuated the injured women.
The Children Needed More Than Rescue
While first responders cared for the injured adults, another challenge remained.
Several young children had just lived through one of the most frightening moments of their lives.
They were cold.
Hungry.
Scared.
Instead of leaving them to sit in fear, Armik’s family welcomed them aboard their houseboat.
They prepared dinner.
They offered ice cream.
They gave the children a safe place to wait while emergency crews worked nearby.
Those small acts became some of the strongest memories from that night.
A Letter That Says More Than Any Headline
Several days later, a handwritten thank-you letter arrived from Naomi.
The letter begins simply.
“If you don’t know me, I am Naomi, one of the girls from the boat that hit the rocks.”
She remembers the helicopters arriving to rescue her grandmother and aunt.
Then she thanks Armik and his family.
“Thank you sooo much. You don’t know how much we appreciate you guys.”
Her words quickly move beyond the rescue itself.
She thanks the family for feeding everyone.
She specifically remembers the ice cream.
Most importantly, she remembers feeling safe.
“You don’t know how scared me and my cousins were, but when you guys took us to your houseboat I knew we were going to be okay.”
For children, safety is not measured by emergency procedures.
It is measured by how people make them feel.
Small Gestures Matter
The letter also thanks Armik and his family for staying an extra day.
Naomi writes that without their help, she believes her family’s boat would have sunk and they might not have made it home safely.
She also reflects on the experience itself.
Although her family had encountered rocks on Lake Powell before, she explains that this accident was unlike anything they had ever experienced.
Near the end of the letter, she shares encouraging news.
Her grandmother and aunt were beginning to recover from their injuries.
For Armik, those words meant a great deal.
“The rescue was important,” he said. “But reading Naomi’s letter reminded me that people also remember how you made them feel during difficult moments. Sometimes offering a meal, a safe place to sit, or simply staying with someone matters just as much.”
Compassion Does Not End When Emergency Crews Arrive
Emergency responders performed remarkable work that evening.
National Park Service personnel, paramedics, and helicopter crews safely evacuated the injured passengers under challenging conditions.
Armik believes everyone involved shared the same goal.
“Everyone worked together,” he said. “Once the professionals arrived, we simply kept helping wherever we could.”
That included helping move injured passengers to the helicopters, assisting with the damaged boat, and eventually allowing the stranded family to use his rented speedboat to return safely to their own houseboat.
None of those decisions were planned.
They simply felt like the right thing to do.
A Memory That Will Last
The handwritten note now serves as a reminder that acts of kindness often leave the biggest impression.
Long after emergency lights disappear and news stories fade, people remember who stayed beside them.
Naomi’s closing words capture that perfectly.
“Again, thank you soooo much for everything… my grandma and aunt are feeling better.”
For Armik Aghakhani, the letter is not a symbol of recognition.
It is a reminder of what communities look like when strangers choose to help one another without hesitation.
Sometimes heroism is measured by rescuing people from danger.
Sometimes it is measured by serving dinner to frightened children, offering reassurance during an uncertain night, and giving families hope when they need it most.
On Lake Powell, both happened on the same evening.
And for one young girl, those moments were important enough to write down by hand so they would never be forgotten.
