MOAB, Utah (ABC4) — “Saving lives sometimes comes down to being in the right place at the right time.”
That’s what the Grand County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue posted on social media after two Moab men saved a family of three when their kayak capsized on the rushing Colorado River.
A 40-year-old man was kayaking on the river with his two sons, aged 8 and 10 years old, when the kayak flipped in whitewater just upstream from a popular beach near Highway 128. SAR said both boys were wearing life jackets, however, both were still unable to keep their heads above water.
The 10-year-old’s jacket inflated with a C02 cartridge but the jacket had flipped the boy, causing him to be face down in the water. Meanwhile, the 8-year-old was wearing a jacket that was too big, keeping him from being able to get his head above the water. Their father was not wearing his life jacket when the kayak capsized.
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Gaar Lausman, a Moab resident and former associate of the Grand County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, saw the accident and immediately jumped into action. SAR said Lausman hopped onto his paddleboard and pulled the two struggling boys out of the water and onto his board.
At the same time, life-long Moab resident Daniel Wright happened to be traveling upstream on his jet ski. Lausman got Wright’s attention and pointed to the 40-year-old father who was being swept downriver.
“Wright had actually passed with a few feet of the man, who was almost completely submerged at the time and virtually unnoticeable because of the substantial amount of high-water debris,” Grand County SAR said.
Wright quickly spun his jet ski around and rescued the man just as he went underwater again with his hand raised.
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The father and his two boys were safely taken a shore.
“Grand County’s Emergency Services sincerely thanks Gaar Lausman and Daniel Wright for their life-saving efforts,” said Grand County SAR in a post to social media. “Because of you, that family gets to go home.”
The Grand County Sheriff’s SAR said any stretch of the Colorado River can be dangerous as the water can be “deceptively calm.” Violent currents just below the water can pull swimmers down or sweep a person farther away from shore.
SAR took the opportunity to encourage everyone to wear properly fitted personal floatation devices when on the water and shared a few tips to consider when recreating, especially when the water flow is high:
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Stay alert to changing conditions.
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Know where you’re going and make your moves early.
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Flips are more likely, so learn and know how to self-rescue.
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Stay alert for debris and driftwood which become more common in rising water.
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Avoid strainers and entanglements.
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Dress warm for the cold water with proper equipment.
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Be prepared and help each other out.
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