Utah News Dispatch
State officials say bringing a life jacket to the water isn’t enough — they want you to wear it
Maj. Steve Bullock of the Utah Department of Natural Resources wears a personal floatation device and displays an underwater drone used to recover drowning victims. (Annie Knox/Utah News Dispatch)
Utah is joining other states like Texas and Florida this summer, telling boaters, paddleboarders and anyone else heading to a lake or river to wear their life jackets in case something goes wrong. But a state official said Thursday their message doesn’t seem to be getting through.
“When you go skiing, everybody now is wearing a ski helmet. When you go mountain biking or motorcycle riding, people are wearing those helmets,” said Maj. Steve Bullock with the Department of Natural Resources’ law enforcement division. “For some reason, boating is having a hard time communicating the importance of wearing life jackets. I think people think that it’s not going to happen to them.”
Bullock said eight people have drowned in Utah lakes and reservoirs this summer, and just one of them was wearing a life jacket. In a rare occurrence, one of those who perished was a scuba diver.
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Life jackets in Utah are required for children until age 13, along with anyone on its rivers and those being towed, including on water skis or in an inner tube. State law doesn’t require adult boaters, kayakers or paddleboarders to wear them on reservoirs — only to have one aboard for each person.
But Bullock argues just bringing them isn’t enough. In a tragic scenario that’s happened several times, he told Utah News Dispatch, officers noted a deceased paddleboarder wasn’t wearing a life jacket and found the board in another location with a life jacket tucked under its straps.
He acknowledged many people don’t want to bother with a bulky layer and showed off sleeker versions of life jackets at a news conference. Bullock said they could make all the difference for anyone who ends up getting a muscle cramp or going into shock due to the cold temperatures of Utah’s reservoirs — or in the event others on the water crash into them.
“There could be strong winds, could be an intoxicated boater near you that runs into your vessel, and other things that happen,” Bullock said. “Life jackets really are only doing you any good if you’re wearing them.”
To make their point and drive home the risks, Bullock and other officials held their news conference Thursday at the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner, which investigates sudden, unexpected deaths such as drownings. They also displayed an underwater drone for recovery operations, equipped with sonar and a high-definition camera.
Cory Russo, a division director at the office, urged Utahns to think of life jackets like a seatbelt in the car.
“It can really save your life,” Russo said. “I — no offense — don’t want to see you at our office, and your family members do not want to see you at our office, either.”
Those visiting state parks can borrow a life for free through a loaner program. For more information, visit the Division of Outdoor Recreation’s website.
