SALT LAKE CITY — What’s meant to be a fun water activity can sometimes end in tragedy.
“We as a society don't value the life jacket as we should,” said McKell Christensen with the Utah Drowning Prevention Coalition.
That was the reality in Weber County Saturday night when a group of boys were playing with their airsoft guns and some of them jumped into the Weber River.
One 17-year-old boy did not come back up, and after about an hour and a half, Weber County Search and Rescue pulled the boy from the water.
The Weber County Sheriff’s Office announced Sunday that the boy died; the river current was likely a factor.
“More of our demographic that we need to reach out to now is mostly young men,” Christensen said.
Christensen said researching the weather and wind prior to water recreation is important, but there are other factors that can take someone by surprise — especially this time of year.
“The water is very, very cold, and I think people don't realize how much that will affect their ability to swim and be able to resurface and breathe in the water. It really puts your body into kind of a state of shock,” Christensen said.
Not just this, but many can underestimate the power of currents.
“You can be in one part of the river that's not got as strong of a current, and then very quickly move into an area that has a very strong current with a lot of undertow,” Christensen said.
The most important step is to wear a life jacket.
“Even with the best research on the weather and wind and currents, sometimes those things don't happen because we're in an unpredictable area. We don't want to overestimate our abilities and underestimate the elements,” Christensen said.
If you ever do find yourself in the water struggling to stay afloat, there are some things you can do.
“Find something that you can grab onto, whether it's something floating with you, also put your feet downstream and try to float on your back,” Christensen said.
Christensen also advised avoiding swimming at night, being CPR certified and keeping yourself safe when helping someone else in the water.
You must, however, pay attention to your surroundings.
“88% of child drownings happen when there's a child with a parent present but not paying attention,” Christensen said.
FOX 13 News reached out to the Weber County Sheriff’s Office to get more details about Saturday’s incident, but did not receive a response.
