Water Safety

Hopefully you are able to enjoy the bodies of water near you without any fear of oil spills or debris from flooded areas. Summer without water to splash in is a summer not worth having. Even though Utah is technically a desert, there are plenty of aqueous activities available, whether its sailing, rafting, swimming, jet skiing, and so forth. Water skiing on cool, mountain reservoir water is amazing on a blazing hot day in July.
As is typical with most outdoor activities, it is extremely important to ensure that you can remain as safe as possible while playing in the water. It is surprising how dangerous water can be, even if it is calm on the surface. Swimming skills are certainly a necessity for water sports, but unfortunately even skilled swimmers are caught unaware from time to time and end up drowning.
Let’s consider how to stay safe this summer in all the rivers and lakes around us. First, mixing water and alcohol is rarely a good combination, unless you don’t hold your liquor well. Alcohol accounts for at least one-third of the injuries and deaths that occur in or near water. Too bad I don’t have a cutesy little catch phrase for this point, like, “Don’t drink and then get in a boat and fall overboard and then get in the pathway of a propeller because your friend driving the boat is as drunk as you are…” It’s simply too long for anyone to remember. I suppose it’s enough to say, “Alcohol and water don’t mix.”
And since we’re on the topic of beverages, let’s talk about wetting your whistle. Even if you are completely submerged in water, you may become dehydrated if you don’t drink enough fluid while participating in watery activities. And don’t just plan on drinking the lake water! It’s not always the cleanest. Fish don’t have a restroom up on shore…
Life jackets are always a good idea if you’re playing in any water other than the public pool (and even then they’re probably a good idea for some people). Humans weren’t specially designed with webbed feet, fins or gills, except for a select few, thus creating the need for a little help when we’re in water. Know your limits when it comes to how well you can swim. You may be an excellent swimmer and feel you don’t require a life jacket, but life jackets can help conserve energy if you are in an emergency. Treading water can tire a person out very quickly.
Let your family or friends know where you are or where you’re going; most likely you take some of them along with you when you go out to play in the water. I know that sounds like something your mother would say to you, but the buddy system saves numerous lives every year. Just make sure you’re not abusing the buddy system by challenging each other to do stupid stuff, like jumping into a raging river without life vests. Dares sound like fun when you’re talking about them, but they can quickly go from exciting to devastating when there’s water involved.
Have fun when you go out to the various bodies of water in Utah. Please take every precaution in order to stay safe. Oh, and I almost forgot: watch out for water monsters!