Local authorities emphasize the importance of personal flotation devices for safety
A frightening rescue on the Colorado River just off River Road made the importance of using safety devices when boating all too clear.
Moab’s Gaar Lausman and Daniel Wright were in the “right place at the right time” to save a family of three from potentially drowning in the river, said Grand County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue staff. On June 6, an inflatable kayak with a father and his two young sons flipped near Mile Marker 6 on Highway 128. While the three had personal flotation devices, all were in danger as both boys were unable to keep their heads above the water and their father was not wearing his vest.
Lausman witnessed the accident from the shoreline and was able to rescue the two boys on his paddleboard, but the father was swept downstream. Wright was travelling upstream on a jetski and was able to get to the man just as he was being submerged under the water, captured in a photo by Eric Odenthal.
“Grand County’s Emergency Services sincerely thanks Gaar Lausman and Daniel Wright for their life-saving efforts,” commented the department. “Because of you, that family gets to go home.”
Officials noted that in addition to wearing PFDs at all times when on the Colorado, those vests should also be properly fitted and worn.
Water levels on the Colorado are particularly high with runoff at this time of year, with the river running at over 25,000 cfs as of June 10, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
