Ashtyn Asay, Daily Herald file photo

It’s about that time of year that more and more people begin recreating on Utah Lake. This month, the Utah Lake Commission is running a water safety awareness campaign to help ensure everyone who plans on getting in the water knows how to stay safe — and has the tools to do so.

“Every life lost impacts a family,” reads a Utah Lake Commission blog post. “In May 2020, Priscilla Bienkowski and Sophia Hernandez, two teenage friends from Saratoga Springs, were reported missing after swimming near the Knolls area on the west side of Utah Lake. Eight days later their bodies were found miles from where they entered the lake.”

After that tragedy, family members and friends of the two girls approached the Utah County Commission in July 2020. They suggested a free life jacket loaner station be available near The Knolls entrance for people to borrow life jackets. The Utah Lake Commission has since partnered with the two families to expand upon their idea; making it a lake-wide life jacket loaner program with six initial stations at public access points around the lake and more to come.

The Utah Lake Life Jacket Loaner Program provides the public with free use of life jackets on a first-come, first-serve basis. According to the commission’s website, research shows that most drownings could have been prevented if a life jacket had been worn by the victim. “The goals for this program are to increase the wearing of life jackets during water-based activities as well as to educate the visiting public on the importance of proper use and fit of life jackets and water safety,” reads the site.

According to Sam Braegger, outreach coordinator, several fundraising and informational efforts are being pursued throughout May, which is National Water Safety Awareness Month, to help with the Life Jacket Loaner Program and other safety efforts.

Isaac Hale, Daily Herald file photo

Braegger said that there are currently five life jacket loaner stations nearing construction completion and more will be added in future years. “Nationally, 80% of people who drowned in boating accidents would have survived had they been wearing a life jacket,” he said. “We want to make loaner life jackets available to help people stay safe while out on the lake.”

On May 7, the Paddle with Care memorial fundraiser was held where participants paddled from Vineyard Beach to American Fork Marina. There, there were educational booths about water safety and about Utah Lake, as well as food and activities.

For more information about the Utah Lake Life Jacket Loaner Program and how monetary and life jacket donations can be made, people can visit http://utahlake.org.

Members of the Utah Lake Photography Club submitted photos of the lake, and its surroundings, for an exhibit fundraiser. The exhibit will be held until May 31. The photography club is partnered with the Utah Lake Commission, Allen’s Camera and SCERA Center for the Arts as an in-person and online gallery of photos which anyone can purchase. Fifty percent of the proceeds go to the operation of the Utah Lake Life Jacket Loaner Program.