MOAB, Utah — A dramatic rescue played out in Moab in which a family of three were saved from the Colorado River thanks to the actions of Good Samaritans.
"I think anyone would have done what I did in my situation," claimed Daniel Wright.
Grand County Search and Rescue teams feel differently, saying Wright, who was on the river on his Jet Ski, is a hero.
"It’s been so hot, I just like the water, so I was just there to play," Wright explained,
On Thursday, a father and his 8- and 10-year-old boys were on the river their inflatable kayaks overturned and sent them rushing down the river.
"It looked like there was a bunch of debris in the water," said Wright. "It’s high water, so there is a lot of debris and it looked like that’s what it was."
A longtime Moab-area resident, Wright explained how he initially steered clear until a man on the riverbank, a former search and rescue volunteer himself, used his paddleboard to get the kids to safety before waved him down to help.
"I was just terrified, really, because the guy’s head was only partially out of the water, and as I was coming over to him, he went under a couple times," Wright shared. "It makes me emotional to think about. It was just terrifying, and I feel so blessed, just so blessed that God put me there and gave me the senses and the wherewithal to just help."
After several fatal incident involving fast-moving rivers across Utah over the weekend, officials are making sure residents and visitors are aware of the possible dangers. But Wright says it's happening all too often, when people aren’t necessarily prepared for the conditions which can change in an instant.
"Things can happen in just a second," he said. "It’s not just because of the current out here, although that certainly makes it worse. But I think if you’re in the water, you should be wearing [a life jacket]."
Luckily, the kayaking family did have some sort of personal flotation devices that helped, but the ones the boys had actually put their heads under the water. The Grand County Search and Rescue team said one of the floatation devices was just a waist device, and the other was too big on the boy. Meanwhile, the father had his on his lap and lost it when his kayak overturned.
Wright says it’s a good reminder for him to always wear his life jacket, and always requires his 12-year-old daughter to do so. But what happened last week was an experience that will stay with him.
"I was definitely happy to be a part of it, but it still makes me emotional. Still very scary to remember that. This water is so dark, that a few inches underneath and you’re invisible," Wright said. "I wouldn’t have been able to just follow his body and get him out later.
"I wouldn’t have ever seen him again."
