PROVO — Four drowning deaths in five years have given Utah Lake a nickname that some say it does not deserve: Killer Lake.
And that does not bode well for organizers of the Utah Half Ironman triathlon, which will use the lake Saturday for the 1.2-mile swim portion of the race.
At last year's inaugural Ironman Utah, heavy winds whipped across the shallow lake, causing high swells that drowned 53-year-old competitor John Boland.
Then last week, a Salt Lake teenager drowned after heavy winds and high waves left him and his brother stranded far from shore.
Now, fewer than 900 of an expected 1,200 athletes have registered for this year's race, and organizers say the lake's reputation as dangerous may be one reason why. Last year, approximately 1,500 competed.
"Obviously what happened last year had an effect, and there is some concern over the swim," said Ironman North America spokesman Shane Facteau. "But this is also the first year we've held a half Ironman here. It usually takes a few years to build an event."
This year, Ironman officials have taken extra precautions to make sure the swim race is safe. Swimmers will enter the water in groups, instead of all at once.
Lifeguards and other emergency personnel will be in boats, jet skis and kayaks circling the perimeter, and a medical helicopter and ambulance will be nearby in case of an emergency.
These preparations impress Utah Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, who pulled Boland from the water last year and later criticized Ironman officials for proceeding with the race despite a heavy windstorm.
Bramble says Utah Lake can become dangerous, but he thinks calling it a "killer lake" is unfair.
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"Do I believe Utah Lake is dangerous? No. But I think it can become very dangerous under the conditions of a microburst with 50 mile per hour winds," Bramble said. "But the ocean is dangerous . . . When winds come up Lake Erie is very dangerous because of its shallow depth. And it's 50 feet deep."
Utah Lake is between 12 and 15 feet deep at its deepest spot, and the harbor that the Ironman will use for the one-lap swim is between 4 and 7 feet deep.
These shallow depths turn the lake water murky, which makes it harder for rescuers to find a swimmer who has gone under.
Shallow water and heavy winds can also create large waves that break close together, says Utah County Search and Rescue director Tom Hodgson.
"Waves 6 to 8feet high, 2 to 3 feet apart, are hard to navigate," Hodgson said. "Everybody who lives around here knows that when winds kick up you get out of the lake. But that doesn't mean it's a killer lake."
Mark Cook, owner of Lindon Boat Harbor, said bad press has hurt the lake. Rumors that the lake is unsafe, or that it is full of sewage and man-eating piranhas, are not true, he says.
Accidents at the lake are caused by human error, not Mother Nature, Conner said. Indeed, none of the four who have drowned since 1998 were wearing lifejackets.
Conner says he has seen swimmers and boaters enter the lake despite heavy storms or without life preservers.
"I've even seen people enter the water who don't know how to swim. They think because it's shallow it's safe," he said. "The big problem with Utah Lake is that people ignore basic safety precautions altogether."
Utah County Commissioner Gary Herbert said the tragedy of last year's race will loom over the event until something else memorable happens at Ironman Utah, such as a record or a unique story of inspiration.
"Time will heal that wound and the tragedy of last year will fade," Herbert said. "But there's nothing wrong with remembering what happened and the lessons we learned from it."
E-mail: jhyde@desnews.com