Water safety tips: ‘Life jackets only work if you wear them’

SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — After the second drowning at Willard Bay within a week , officials are reminding Utahns of some safety tips — and local laws — to help people stay safe on the water.

On Saturday, Aug. 10, Box Elder County officials called out a team from the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation to assist in the search for the body of Andre Leon Debose , 38, who drowned after jumping into the water to help his son.

Steve Bullock, who is the chief of law enforcement for the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation , was on the search team that recovered Debose. Bullock spoke with ABC4.com about water safety and was adamant about the use of life jackets while on the water.

“Life jackets only work if you wear them,” Bullock said.

Bullock said the team is frequently called out to assist in body recovery in similar situations, and he said there are “too many tragedies” where someone jumps into the water to try and save someone else, but doesn’t make it.

“Open water swimming is just completely different,” Bullock said. “There’s unknown hazards, there’s things under the water ….”

So, how can people stay safe while on the water? Bullock cited some of Utah’s laws to explain.

Every motorboat between 16 feet and 39 feet long is required by Utah law to have a throwable life preserver, according to Bullock and the Division of Outdoor Recreation. Boats longer than 40 feet must have at least two of the throwable life preservers.

“The whole entire point of having this on your boat is you want to have it readily accessible, so if somebody is swimming out of your boat or somewhere else, you can easily just grab it and throw it to them,” Bullock said of the throwable preservers.

Anyone aged 12 or younger is also required to wear a properly fitted, Coast Guard-approved life jacket while on a lake or reservoir, according to the Division of Outdoor Recreation.

“All life jackets fitted and sized properly according to age, weight, activity, and use restrictions listed on the U.S. Coast Guard approval label,” the division said.

Bullock encouraged people to put a life jacket on, especially if they get caught in stormy weather.

“It only counts as a life jacket if you’re wearing it,” Bullock said.

What to do in the event of a boating accident

The Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation also supplied some reminders to Utahns regarding what to do in a boating accident.

If involved in an accident, you are urged to stay calm and help others, if you are physically able to do so after the accident. You should also exchange contact information with injured individuals or owners of damaged property.

“Notify law enforcement immediately if anyone dies, disappears, requires treatment beyond simple first-aid, or combined property damage exceeds $2,000,” the division said.

Leaving the scene of an accident is illegal, and you must render aid, exchange information, and notify law enforcement before being able to leave.

“Complete and sign boat owner/operator accident report form and submit it to Utah State Parks within 10 days. Forms are available from a park ranger or at boating.utah.gov ,” the division said.

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