Officials warn people to stay away from the Provo River
Jun 12, 2024, 9:00 PM
Provo police are urging people to stay at least 40 feet away from the Provo River, after three people fell into fast-moving water this week alone. (Wasatch County Search and Rescue)
(Wasatch County Search and Rescue)
PROVO, Utah — The Provo Police Department is urging people to stay away from Provo River.
In the last week, Utah County has seen three people fall into rushing water. Two of those incidents were fatal.
They say it’s vital right now, when the river is running at a very fast rate, to stay at least 40 feet away from all riverbanks.
“PLEASE STAY AWAY,” the department said in an Instagram post. “It is EXTREMELY dangerous to recreate anywhere nearby… Consider alternative locations until the flow returns to normal.”
View this post on Instagram
Three incidents in one week
Three people fell into Utah County waters this week alone.
In Alpine, a 19-year-old hiker was found dead near Horsetail Falls on Saturday, June 8.
That same day, a 12-year-old child fell into the river at Bridal Veil Falls and passed away.
Tuesday, June 11, a 13-year-old fell into the Provo River at Riverside Park. He was rescued by a passerby and emergency responders.
Provo police’s Janna-Lee Holland told KSL NewsRadio after the latter accident that it is essential that people exercise safety around the rivers right now.
“We just really want to get the message out there that the rivers are fast, they’re cold, they’re a lot deeper than they usually are … Unfortunately we don’t have much success with rescues. It’s usually a retrieval mission, not a saving mission,” she said.
