SPANISH FORK — Four people on a fishing trip suffered hypothermia, including one who had to be transported to a hospital, after spending hours in the water trying to free a boat trapped on rocks in Utah Lake, authorities said Thursday.
Three adults and one juvenile were rescued at about 12:40 a.m. Thursday morning on Bird Island, about a mile north of the Lincoln Beach Marina, Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon said.
"They were really worried about losing their boat, so they were taking turns in the water holding on to it, trying to keep it off the rocks. They had been at that for about two hours before they called us," Cannon said.
He said they should have called for help immediately, likely avoiding hypothermia.
"Don't try to save the boat when there are lives at risk," Cannon said, adding the boaters are all expected to recover. "They should have let the boat go and protected themselves."
He said Bird Island can be covered by water and "could be a boat killer if you're not aware of it." It was not clear whether the boat hit the island and was damaged or had mechanical problems, Cannon said, noting there were also some rough waters.