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Alex Cabrero reportingThe Salt Lake County Search and Rescue team is putting out a warning tonight. Water levels in rivers and streams are up, and that water is moving fast, making for a very dangerous situation if you get caught in it.
Search and Rescue crews have already been called to a handful of rescues this Spring. Any parent can tell you how fast a child can seemingly disappear. In the canyons right now, you just can't let that happen.
Want to see a child smile ear-to-ear? Take him outside.
Sandy resident Tony Butterfield told us, "The boys, right when we came up here, said this is funner than a video game, so we knew we made the right choice today." The water, trees, and especially the dirt and rocks make for a child's paradise.
"They like to walk all the way down the stream, and they'd be jumping off there if they could," Paul Redd-Butterfield said. That's exactly why these two parents were watching their boys' every move.
It also made them feel comfortable that Salt Lake County Search and Rescue teams were practicing slope rescues just up the trail. Crews from the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office,and the Unified Fire Authority teamed up this morning in LIttle Cottonwood Canyon.
With better weather in front of us, they know more people are going to be hiking, and they know that means more rescues. Sgt. Travis Skinner said, "In the last two weeks, we've had three rescues."
They practiced tying the right knots, lowering victims down a steep incline, and making sure everyone knew their jobs inside and out.
Keith Sauter said, "Certainly the victim is already in a bad situation, and we don't want to get anybody else in a bad situation."
And not only are rescuers worried about people getting injured while hiking or climbing, they're also worried about people getting injured while getting into the water. With warmer temperatures this weekend, there is a lot of snow melt, and a lot of water. "It's cold and it's fast, and it takes the energy out of you very quickly," Sauter said.
That's exactly the reason parents we talked to chose a calmer location to let their boys play in, instead of rushing water elsewhere. "They're the most important things in our lives, so you got to keep an eye on them and make sure they're not doing anything too dangerous," Redd-Butterfield said.
Rescuers say the most common mistake victims make is poor judgment in the first place. They ask everyone to know their environment and their limitations.
E-mail: acabrero@ksl.com
