FFs Make Several Water Rescues at CO Park

Several people were rescued while tubing at LaVern Johnson Park in Lyons on Sunday, including two ten-year-old children, one of whom sustained minor injuries.

Around 12:40 p.m. Boulder County Communications was notified of two ten-year-old children, one girl and one boy, who had fallen out of their tubes.

According to a news release from the Boulder County Sheriff's office, the children's father was waiting downstream to catch them both while tubing; but the force of the water caused the children to knock him down when he tried to catch them.

The girl fell out of her tube near the shore and was rescued by bystanders, while the boy was able to make his way to the opposite shore of the creek.

Lyons Fire Protection District provided first aid to the girl, who was injured, and walked the boy back to his family. The girl was taken by paramedics from American Medical Response to a hospital with minor injuries.

Later in the day, around 3:45 pm, Boulder County Communications was notified of six to seven other people who had been tubing and were stuck on the far side of the creek in the same location.

Rescue agencies responded back to the park to assist, and firefighters from Lyons Fire Protection District were again able to access all seven stuck parties and assist them with walking out and back to the park. None of the rescued party sustained injuries.

According to the news release, high temperatures in the past week have increased snowmelt, causing creeks in Boulder County to flow at near peak runoff levels.

The Boulder County Sheriff's Office recommends the following safety tips while recreating in or around the water:

* Wear a life vest. Choose the right personal flotation device.

* Know conditions. Creeks in Boulder County are filled with melted snow — they are always cold. People can easily experience hypothermia in the water. Always check weather and river conditions. Plan your put-in and take-out points. Certain areas can be incredibly dangerous.

* Float sober. The unpredictability and variety of river obstacles require full, unimpaired attention.

* Show and tell. Make sure someone not in your party knows your route and timeline. If plans change, put a note in your vehicle on the driver's side dashboard. Write your name and number on your vessel. If you and your vessel become separated, this helps responders verify if someone is missing or in need of help.

* In the water. Get on your back with feet pointing downstream. Don't stand up or try to walk out. Swim as close to the shore as possible then crawl or scoot out to avoid entrapment in the rocky shore.

* Reach or throw, don't go. If someone is caught in fast-moving water, reach out to them or throw a rope to the person in the water. Do not attach the rope to yourself in any way or enter the water or you may also become in need of rescuing.

* Call 911 ASAP. Call with details about the location of the incident. Make sure someone has a waterproof phone available.

* Stay detached. Never tie anything to anything — including you. If you connect to something, including another tube, and encounter an obstacle, the situation can be more dangerous.

Agencies that assisted in the rescue efforts included the Boulder County Sheriff's Office, Lyons Fire Protection District, Hygiene Fire Protection District, Lefthand Fire Protection District, Boulder Emergency Squad, and American Medical Response.

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