BOZEMAN — The snow is melting and the rivers are rising. It’s an exciting time and beautiful to see, but it’s also a dangerous time.
“The rivers are such a dangerous situation right now when you combine the cfs — the flows — and you throw a few logs in. That -- with the cold water temperatures – it’s just a whole lot of things can go wrong really fast,” noted Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Game Warden Sgt. Matt Wemple.
People who choose to go out on the water this time of year need to make sure everyone on board is prepared for safety.
“Making sure you've got [personal floating devices] for everyone on board,” Wemple said. “Make sure that children under 12 are wearing them, most importantly. And then also too, have those other tools with you, like throw ropes or throwable pfds, [so] that if someone's in the water under distress you can get to them in a hurry and get them the help that they need.”
When it comes to high water, it’s this simple: those rescue tools — and knowing how to use them — are often the difference between life and death.
“Time is everything in something like this. And the things that are done right when the situation occurs is what's going to make the difference,” Wemple noted. “Most of the time by the time search and rescue or us get there, sadly it's often too late.”
“And so, we'll do the best that we can to get there the quickest and safest. But have those — having a plan, having those tools to rescue somebody if they are in the water in distress — can make all the difference and save the day,” Wemple continued.
Wemple also discourages taking young children near the river this time of year. But for people who do, he says to make sure to have a personal floatation device and also suggests making them wear it could save a life.
