HURRICANE, Utah (KUTV) — Two people were hospitalized after separate accidents at Sand Hollow State Park just minutes apart Saturday, and the Utah Department of Natural Resources Division of Law Enforcement is working to expand education and patrol efforts to help prevent similar incidents.
"I'd hate for someone to have to learn that lesson through a tragedy. I'd rather they just be prepared before an incident happens," said Sgt. Brandon Jensen of the Utah Department of Natural Resources Division of Law Enforcement.
On Saturday, a 27-year-old Tooele County man and his girlfriend were swimming toward a feature when the man became exhausted and went underwater.
"He was recovered by some bystanders who were watching and saw the incident kind of unfold. They jumped in, actually pulled the individual from the water and began performing CPR," Jensen said.
Just minutes after the man was airlifted from the park, a boat carrying an injured 16-year-old girl arrived at the same dock.
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"This almost occurred simultaneously, really immediately right after this first patient was airlifted," Jensen said. "They went over a wave and kind of all rolled off. She ended up getting piled on. There was an injury that took place. She became unresponsive while in the water but regained consciousness back at the boat ramp."
A man who identified himself on social media as the 27-year-old's brother said the swimmer is now brain-dead. The 16-year-old was last reported at St. George Regional Hospital.
Responders said more incidents are expected as recreation continues to grow.
"There were a lot of people out that day, so there were a lot of wakes and waves being created by everyone on the water," Jensen said. "I just think the more people we have out, the more we're going to see these incidents. Again, we're going to keep pushing that message of safety while increasing our patrol efforts and focusing on the areas where we can make the biggest difference."
Jensen said keeping up with crowds at Sand Hollow typically requires more than half of the division's personnel from Washington and Iron counties.
Earlier this year, there were similar incidents, including a 22-year-old who drowned at the park in May and another swimmer who was rescued by a bystander in June.
Jensen said education is key to prevention. Officials recommend swimmers wear a life jacket, check weather conditions before heading out and tell others where they plan to swim.
"You might be a really great swimmer in a swimming pool, but when you get outside, it's a different story," Jensen said. "The wind can change things. Even six-inch waves coming over your face while you're trying to swim can wear you out. It's easier to get tired while you're out there and start cramping."
Witness Kristi Angus said the park feels dangerous because of speeding boats and swimmers not wearing life jackets. She said personal watercraft nearly hit her surfers the day of the accidents.
"When you have 10 or 15 boats all in the same general area, and then multiple jet skis zipping around, when you drop a skier somewhere and have to turn around to pick them up, they're just a head floating in the water. So everyone needs to be cautious," Angus said. "When you don't have a life jacket on trying to swim here, it's not safe. You're going to get tired."
Both the weekend drowning incident and the June incident involved bystanders helping rescue a swimmer. Jensen acknowledged those efforts while warning about the risks.
"That was a very heroic thing to jump in and pull them out of the water," Jensen said. "But we also want people to be aware of the danger. If someone is drowning, they can go into panic mode and grab onto a rescuer as they try to stay above water. That can turn into an even more tragic situation. We don't want to create two victims."