12-02-2004, 03:32 PM
Thursday, December 02, 2004 - 12:00 AM [url "http://www.harktheherald.com/print.php?sid=41607"]![[Image: print.gif]](http://www.harktheherald.com/images/global/print.gif)
[/url] | [url "http://www.harktheherald.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Recommend_Us&file=index&req=FriendSend&sid=41607"]![[Image: friend.gif]](http://www.harktheherald.com/images/global/friend.gif)
[/url]
County officials warn of dangers at Utah Lake
Caleb Warnock DAILY HERALD
Utah Lake can be deadly.
Hoping to cut down on the increasing number of rescues at the lake, Utah County Sheriff's deputies held a news conference Wednesday to warn the public not to take Mother Nature -- and her indifference to human life -- for granted.
"The weather can change really quickly," said Sgt. Spencer Cannon. "A gust of wind can catch a boat and turn it."
Over the past year, search and rescue crews have responded to Lincoln Beach and Bird Island five times, rescuing a total of 12 people and a dog, he said. Only three of the 12 were wearing life jackets.
On Dec. 14, 2003, a father and his 12-year-old son were rescued from Bird Island when their boat sank in rough water. Neither was wearing a life jacket.
On June 20, a father and his two sons, ages 8 and 5, were rescued after their boat sank when they hit underwater debris near Lincoln Beach. None of the three was wearing a life jacket.
On Sept. 18, a fisherman was rescued after he fell out of his float tube in rough water near Bird Island. He was not wearing a life jacket.
On Oct. 7, three men, a 12-year-old boy, and a dog were rescued after their boat overturned in the choppy lake. Only the boy was wearing a life jacket.
On Friday, two men were rescued after their boat overturned in rough water near Lincoln Beach. Both were wearing life jackets. One of the men, whose heart stopped twice, is still in the hospital.
"Despite his condition, it is entirely likely that he and his brother are alive because they were wearing life jackets," Cannon said.
Because the lake is low following six years of drought, many areas where duck hunters typically hunt are unavailable, he said. Deputies believe this is why there has been an increase in the number of rescues at Lincoln Beach.
And low water has exposed Bird Island, making it a haven for ducks and other birds, which naturally draws hunters to the area, he said.
"We will continue to respond to emergencies on Utah Lake, but we urge people to be prepared for anything that might happen when they go on the water," he said.
Whether hunting or recreating on the lake, anyone on a boat should wear a life jacket at all times, he said.
He also encouraged people to carry cell phones in watertight plastic bags while boating and always tell someone where they are and what time to expect them to return home.
Because search and rescue crews are volunteers who provide their own equipment, the rescues aren't a huge expense to the county, he said, but the rescuers often put their own lives at risk.
"It can be life threatening," he said. This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page C1.
[signature]
[/url] | [url "http://www.harktheherald.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Recommend_Us&file=index&req=FriendSend&sid=41607"][/url]County officials warn of dangers at Utah Lake
Caleb Warnock DAILY HERALD
Utah Lake can be deadly.
Hoping to cut down on the increasing number of rescues at the lake, Utah County Sheriff's deputies held a news conference Wednesday to warn the public not to take Mother Nature -- and her indifference to human life -- for granted.
"The weather can change really quickly," said Sgt. Spencer Cannon. "A gust of wind can catch a boat and turn it."
Over the past year, search and rescue crews have responded to Lincoln Beach and Bird Island five times, rescuing a total of 12 people and a dog, he said. Only three of the 12 were wearing life jackets.
On Dec. 14, 2003, a father and his 12-year-old son were rescued from Bird Island when their boat sank in rough water. Neither was wearing a life jacket.
On June 20, a father and his two sons, ages 8 and 5, were rescued after their boat sank when they hit underwater debris near Lincoln Beach. None of the three was wearing a life jacket.
On Sept. 18, a fisherman was rescued after he fell out of his float tube in rough water near Bird Island. He was not wearing a life jacket.
On Oct. 7, three men, a 12-year-old boy, and a dog were rescued after their boat overturned in the choppy lake. Only the boy was wearing a life jacket.
On Friday, two men were rescued after their boat overturned in rough water near Lincoln Beach. Both were wearing life jackets. One of the men, whose heart stopped twice, is still in the hospital.
"Despite his condition, it is entirely likely that he and his brother are alive because they were wearing life jackets," Cannon said.
Because the lake is low following six years of drought, many areas where duck hunters typically hunt are unavailable, he said. Deputies believe this is why there has been an increase in the number of rescues at Lincoln Beach.
And low water has exposed Bird Island, making it a haven for ducks and other birds, which naturally draws hunters to the area, he said.
"We will continue to respond to emergencies on Utah Lake, but we urge people to be prepared for anything that might happen when they go on the water," he said.
Whether hunting or recreating on the lake, anyone on a boat should wear a life jacket at all times, he said.
He also encouraged people to carry cell phones in watertight plastic bags while boating and always tell someone where they are and what time to expect them to return home.
Because search and rescue crews are volunteers who provide their own equipment, the rescues aren't a huge expense to the county, he said, but the rescuers often put their own lives at risk.
"It can be life threatening," he said. This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page C1.
[signature]