SALT LAKE CITY — After two unfortunate drownings at two separate water bodies in Utah Saturday night, water safety is top of mind.
"As you go out and recreate, especially on our waterways, the single most important choice we always tell everyone is to wear a life jacket,” said Capt. Chase Pili with the Utah Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division.
On Saturday, search and rescue crews were at Causey Reservoir looking for a 23-year-old who was cliff jumping. Officials said he resurfaced once, but then didn’t come back up for air. Meanwhile, crews were also at Yuba State Park looking for a missing swimmer. They recovered both bodies later in the night. Officials added that neither was wearing a life jacket.
“Whether you’re in three feet of water, or 10, 20, to hundreds of feet of water in some of our reservoirs, the best safety tip is to bring life jackets and also wear that life jacket,” Pili said. “Lots of circumstances could happen out there, and just wearing one could definitely reduce the chance of an unfortunate drowning.”
"My kids and grandkids are coming up. We have this beautiful lake right here to go out there and be entertained, just enjoy and make memories,” said Milo Vigil, who brought his family to spend the day at Jordanelle Reservoir.
While enjoying the beauty of Utah's water bodies, and with how easily accessible they are, Vigil said safety is key for people who like recreating here.
"We have life jackets, we have flotation devices, we've got horns, we've got whistles, we've got flags to wave if anyone falls off the boat,” added Vigil.
Pili added that if you see someone who might be drowning, it's not always best to jump in to try to save them.
"Some things you can do is have a Type 4 personal flotation device, which is designed to throw out to individuals,” he said. “It is like a lifesaver ring, or shaped like a square with handles, that can be a resource for you to toss out to someone."
"Pay attention to how the weather is going. If the wind starts picking up, the water's going to be a lot rougher,” said Vigil. “Always pay attention to where everybody is at."
