Tips to keep safe boating, swimming in Iowa after recent deaths

It's officially summer in Iowa and many will spend their days on the water, whether riding in a boat or swimming in the water.

The rise in use also means a rise in incidents like drownings or boat crashes.

In 2022, there were 28 reports of boating incidents on Iowa waters, according to an Iowa Department of Natural Resources news release. Seventeen involved property damage and four resulted in fatalities. Out of the four deaths, one of them was alcohol-related.

There were 38 drownings in 2021, the latest data available, according to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.

Here are a few things to keep in mind before hitting the water.

Over Memorial Day weekend alone, three Iowans died while recreating in Iowa's waterways.

In Lake Red Rock, 21-year-old Urias Gbarjolo, a talented athlete and artist, went under the water while swimming in an undesignated area and never resurfaced.

In Saylorville Lake, 42-year-old Kalpesh Patel fell off a boat and did not survive.

And Alvaro Valdivia Barranco, 52, died in a suspected drowning at Airport Lake Park in New Hampton, according to KCRG.

In yet another incident over Memorial Day weekend, Jeffrey Mattison, 51, of Cedar Rapids, was transported by helicopter to the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics after his boat crashed into a bridge piling in the Cedar River, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources reported.

Tracy Spry, park ranger with the Army Corps of Engineers at Lake Red Rock, said wearing a life preserver while on or in the water is as important as wearing a seat belt while in a car.

There are a variety of life jackets swimmers and boat passengers can choose from now more than ever before.

"There's some that are like suspenders, and they’re quite cool," Spry said. "Unfortunately, it's very uncommon for me to see people wearing their life jackets, unless they have to by law."

Lake Red Rock has a life jacket loaner program to use for free. Swimmers can find one that fits them best.

Many Iowa lakes have designated beaches for swimming. Spry said it's best to stick to those areas and not test the waters.

"If a person were to swim in a non-designated area, there is potential that they don't know there are limitations: The wind can become a problem, the wave action can become a problem, there can be a sudden drop off," she said.

Since 2012, Lake Red Rock has seen five drownings, three of which were people swimming in undesignated areas.

Iowa currently has 231,000 registered boats and with many more bright sunny days to come, the DNR has recommendations for boaters:

Tammie Krausman, public information officer for the DNR, said that while it is warm outside, the water temperature is cool and can cause shock and fatigue even for strong swimmers.

The DNR has these tips for swimmers:

Nixson Benítez is a breaking news intern at the Des Moines Register. He can be reached at [email protected]