Park Officials : Idaho’s Cold Water Dangerous
TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KLIX) State parks officials say that three people have died in the last two months in Idaho after falling from boats into frigid waters. The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation is reminding people to always wear life jackets and remember that water temperatures in rivers, lakes and reservoirs are still dangerously ice cold. David Dahms, the state boating law administrator, said in a prepared statement that the warm air temperatures gives a false sense of security for people who head out on the water. It may be 80 degrees outside, but water temperatures can remain in the 40s or 50s from melting snow in the mountains. According to IDPR, when someone falls into cold water the shock can make them gasp for air making it difficult to hold their breath. Officials say without a life jacket the possibility of drowning is even greater. IDPR provided a resource page for recreating on cold water, find it HERE.