Tubers get trapped on island in frigid river, Utah rescuers say. ‘Like an eternity’

Rough weather stranded about a dozen tubers on a rocky island in the Provo River, Utah officials reported.

Deputies and firefighters responded to reports of tubers stuck on an island at about 2:45 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

The tubers told authorities they were concerned about conditions in the river, deputies said.

The tubers took shelter from a chilly rainstorm on the small, rocky island or sandbar and then could not reach the shore, KSTU reported.

“I was so shaky and freezing and so was everyone else, and like, had to do a shelter literally out of all of our tubes,” Stephen Collins told the station. “It felt like an eternity sitting in there in the rain, on a bunch of rocks.”

Firefighters waded through shin-deep water to rescue the tubers, deputies said.

Deputies encouraged the public to check whether forecasts before planning outdoor activities.

“But if you feel like conditions are beyond your control, call for help,” they said.

The Provo River is about a 45-mile drive southeast from Salt Lake City.

This story was originally published August 18, 2024 at 11:50 AM with the headline "Tubers get trapped on island in frigid river, Utah rescuers say. ‘Like an eternity’."