Life jackets save father, son at lake

Friday, July 30, 2004 | 9:27 a.m.

A Las Vegas father and his 12-year-old son were rescued alive from Lake Mead after being in wind-whipped waves for 45 minutes, National Park Service rangers said Thursday.

A frantic 911 call from the wife of Lazaro Alan, 47, about 6:30 p.m. brought rangers in boats and helicopters to Hemenway Harbor, where the woman had reported the location of herself, her husband, and her stepson, park service spokeswoman Roxanne Dey said.

However, the caller got her location wrong. Rangers did eventually find the man and boy, who was not identified, at Las Vegas Marina, Dey said.

The pair, wearing life jackets, had jumped out of their boat to go swimming, both hot after placing the watercraft into the lake, Dey said. Once in the water, the father and son watched as the boat drifted away from them.

Afternoon winds and choppy water prevented them from reaching the boat.

"They did have their life jackets on, or they'd be dead," Dey said.

Rangers did not need to rescue the man and boy, both of whom were conscious when rangers arrived at the marina, she said. It was unclear exactly what sort of medical treatment was needed by the pair.

"If there's a little bit of wind and you swallow water, you can be sick," Dey said.

Mercy Air Ambulance responded and took the father and son to local hospitals for a checkup, Dey said.

"I am thrilled that I'm not reporting a fatality, a double fatality," Dey said.

The incident highlights the importance of wearing life jackets when swimming or boating on Lake Mead, Dey said.