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SALT LAKE CITY — Three men and a dog suffered from hypothermia but are expected to recover after their boat got swamped during a duck hunting trip on Utah Lake on Sunday morning.
The men were hunting near Lincoln Beach about 8:50 a.m. when high winds started blowing and hail started falling, according to a Monday news release from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office.
The 12-foot boat the group was hunting in became swamped, and all three men and the dog went into the water, according to the release. They had life jackets, but had to wade through chest-deep, 36-degree water.
They also trekked through some phragmites, or wetland grasses, that were 8-12 feet tall, which made it difficult for the men to tell which way they were going, the release said.
Utah County Search and Rescue, Utah State Parks and Payson Ambulance personnel responded, but the men were able to make it to shore on their own. They were able to make it back to their vehicles to warm up, the release said. The men were not identified.
The dog swam about 1,000 yards through the water to get to shore and eventually curled up in a Utah County Sheriff deputy’s warm truck.
The weather in the area was overcast but calm before the winds and hail started up, according to the release.
The sheriff's office advised the public to keep in mind that storms on Utah Lake can quickly become life-threatening. When adverse weather is possible, people on the lake should get to shore as soon as possible, the release said.
