Dad and son rescued from swift water after falling in Virgin River
By Melanie Porter
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WASHINGTON COUNTY, Utah (KSTU) — When a dad and son became stranded on a sandbar along the Virgin River, crews did not hesitate to jump in and save the pair from the swift water over the weekend.
The rescue happened on Sunday after a dad and his son fell off their raft and got stuck on a sandbar in the middle of the river, officials explained.
Video of the rescue showed rapidly moving, muddy water as well as debris lining the sandbar, making for potentially treacherous conditions.
Two team members jumped into the water and expertly swam to the sandbar, all while being moved with the quick current.
Throw bags, which are essentially lengths of rope in a bag that can be thrown to perform a rescue, were used to help crews pull the dad and son to safety, one by one.
Video captured of the rescue shows the boy and a rescuer slowly making their way into the water while being tied to a rope as multiple people on the other side caught and pulled them out of the water.
The father followed shortly behind his son, with a rescuer helping to guide him through the current and to safety.
Officials warned that should individuals choose to get in the river, they should be prepared for water that is “moving a lot faster than it looks.”
“What may seem like a fun outing can easily turn into a potentially deadly scenario,” officials said.
The Virgin River isn’t the only body of water that has seen increased flow thanks to heavy rainfall and snow melt. Rivers, streams and creeks across Utah have experienced flooding and high levels due to record-breaking snow levels over the winter months.
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