Summer Boating Safety Emphasized

Boating is one of the most popular summertime activities. However, it also can be dangerous, as two recent drownings at Skaguay Reservoir in Teller County have shown.

Lt. Damon Davis is a member of the Colorado Springs Fire Department’s dive team, which currently is searching for the body of a man who fell into the lake from a canoe Thursday. Davis explained what boaters should and shouldn’t do in a similar situation.

“Don’t try to swim to shore, unless you’re alone and help is a long ways off,” he said. “The safest thing to do is stay with the boat. Modern-day boats are designed to stay afloat, even if they’re full of water. Canoes will stay close to the surface, but they’re not going to float like a sport boat would.”

Davis said cold water, underwater currents and strong winds can make trying to stay afloat more dangerous for a boater. He recommends that you remain calm if you fall into the water.

“People expend a lot of energy trying to get up on the boat,” he said. “Just hang on, keep your head above water and try to save as much energy as you can.”

Davis said keeping your clothes on actually helps with floatation and body warmth. He also advises wearing a life vest, having someone with you, avoiding standing in small boats, balancing the weight of a boat’s contents and telling someone where you are and when you plan to return.

Eight divers have been searching at Skaguay for the latest missing boater since Thursday, Davis said, and that visibility has improved. The unidentified boater is believed to be in about 25 feet of water at about 50 degrees. Davis said searchers may bring in sonar equipment to assist them.

A second man, McKenzie Boutin, 17, of Colorado Springs, drowned at Skaguay on April 25.