Two people were in the right place at the right time to save three lives on the Colorado River earlier this month, according to Utah’s Grand County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team.

The agency reports that a 40-year-old man was in an inflatable kayak with his two sons, aged eight and 10, when the kayak flipped in whitewater upstream from a popular beach area near Highway 128. The accident was spotted from the beach and former associate of the search and rescue team Gaar Lausman, of Moab, happened to see the situation unfold. He immediately hopped on his paddleboard and rushed out to provide emergency aid.

Both boys were wearing personal floatation devices, but these devices were failing to do their job. The 10-year-old had a belt-pack floatation device that had flipped him over to put his head in the water while the eight-year-old had a life jacket on that was too large, failing too keep his head above water.

Lausman was able to get both children on his paddleboard but was unfortunately unable to go after the father after that.

Thankfully, there was another stroke of luck, as life-long Moab resident Daniel Wright just so happened to be headed upstream on the river on a jet ski. Lausman got his attention and directed him to the father, who was being swept down the river.

While Wright had already passed the man moments before, the man was nearly completely submerged and “virtually unnoticeable” due to high water debris.

Wright turned his jet ski around and found the man as he went underwater again, reaching out with his hand in desperation. A photo from the scene captured this moment, with a single hand seen rising up from the water.

Wright was able to rescue the man, who had a personal floatation device with him on his kayak, but lost it when it flipped because it was sitting on his lap.

Ultimately, all three family members were safely brought to shore. The offer to call medical aid to the scene was declined.

The big takeaway from this rescue is the importance of properly wearing a life jacket when in and around natural sources of water, regardless of your swimming ability. While this incident happened in Utah, the same hazards exist in Colorado.

River currents can be strong and unpredictable making it crucial to follow safety-related best practices. On moving water, a helmet is a good idea, too.

Thankfully, this story had a happy ending.