Officials warn of cold water temperatures, increase in search and rescue calls

SALT LAKE CITY — With warmer temperatures, Ty Hunter's son thought it would be a good idea to set up the Slip’N Slide.

"I'm laughing going, that's not going to work," he said. "We'll set that up, you'll do one slide and you'll be done. Because it's cold."

But his son insists it won't be. As the Boating Program Manager of the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation, he said it's a similar reaction to what he sees from those getting an early start to recreation in Utah, failing to acknowlege cold water temperatures and the cold nights of March and the coming month.

The Beehive State is considered a cold water state, which means most of the water temperatures will be below 70 degrees, he said.

With that comes some dangers.

"That's roughly 30 degrees from what your body temperature is," he said.

And when water temperatures drop to the current temperature of some bodies of water of 50 degrees, it becomes about half of the body's temperature.

"That is a huge shock that occurs," Hunter said. "So that's where the danger really comes in. You need to have that preparation, be dressed for the conditions."

Deputy Darrell Cashin of the Washington County’s Sheriff’s Office oversees the Search and Rescue of Washington County.

Thursday morning Cashin got a call about five 20-year-olds that were 200 feet up the side of the mountain. They had no food or water, and had been there since the night before at 11 p.m.

Last year he said search and rescue was called out 44 times.

"So far this year, since the first of January, we've already done 31," Cashin said.

Many of those calls this year have been lost hikers before the time change. Since then he said it's been recreators, hikers, people canyoneering and lots of mountain bikers.

Over the past 16 years, he said there have been an average of 31 1/2 calls per year.

"This, yeah, is particularly what I would call off the scale," he said.

Hunter said most drownings are a culprit of cold water immersion.

When someone jumps or falls into 40 to 50 degree water, Hunter said the initial shock of the cold water causes a gasp for air.

"That's the start of the issue," he said. "You're gasping and coughing so respirations aren't as effective as they should be."

Hunter said that lasts for an average of one minute.

"That's usually that golden time that if you don't have assistance, something to either grab on to or your life jacket, you might not be able to get your breathing under control," he said.

Then they'll experience a loss of dexterity.

"You've got about 10 minutes of really worthwhile movement, to be able to render aid to yourself or to someone else," he said.

Or to get back to the boat or get to safety.

"After your muscles, in essence seize up, then you're starting into that working towards hypothermia."

Hunter said more than likely, someone in that situation would then drown if they weren't able to get help.

Someone would have to be in that temperature of water for about an hour or more before succumbing to hypothermia.

Hunter stressed the need for lifejackets, both for children and adults.

Currently in shallower waters, Hunter said temperatures are at about 50 degrees. Places like Willard Bay, Utah Lake and the Great Salt Lake will be colder.

In the summer, Utah Lake and Willard will reach temperatures of the mid 70's.

"We're not getting that heavy heating of the day that will stay very long," he said. "Your mornings are still pretty crisp and your evenings too."

Hunter said these conditions are not new, they're just earlier.

"It’d be no different than what would be a month or a month and a half from now. It’s just accelerated. It’s just earlier in the year."

Cashin was overseeing rapid water training for his search and rescue volunteers Saturday morning. New volunteers will start at the operations level, and currently trained members will refesh their skills.

"We feel like the more assets the better," he said. "Because when we get flooding we can't choose where it's going to hit or how hard it's going to hit."

They'll begin going over safety gear, teach the teams how to throw bags and defensive swimming in the river.

Cashin said they'll also learn how to read different elements, avoid hazards and what to do to if they get in tricky situations.

But the best course of action is for those out hiking and boating to avoid trouble in the first place.

"Don't ever judge your conditions off of the calendar," he said. "Judge it off of the conditions that are out there."

Hunter said people should always follow these safety tips if they end up in the water:

Email: ebench@deseretnews.com

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