With two deaths from drowning in the Colorado River already this year officials are sending out a warning to anyone boating or floating this holiday weekend.

Today was the first time the Fox family rafted the Colorado River. The family from Isreal has only rafted the Jordan River Before, and how does this compare? “It doesn't this is much bigger," says mother Nannette.

While these first timers are taking a guided trip others will be floating the waters this holiday weekend with less. "Expect a lot of people coming down the water in probably rafts or inner tubes," says Mesa County Sheriff’s Sergeant Tony Marsh.

Marsh says the Sheriff’s Office has probably been on eight or 10 river rescues this year alone.
A big reason for that says Sergeant Marsh is what these people are doing, or not doing, while floating the river. Marsh says, "They are not wearing life jackets and then they are consuming large amounts of alcohol sometimes drugs are involved."

Not all rescues involve people. Just a few days ago search and rescue was called out to reports of an empty raft floating down stream, the owners apparently abandoned ship after they sprung a leak. Marsh says, "If they lose their rafts I'd like them to call dispatch's non emergency number."
That way search and rescue doesn't waste time tracking down an empty raft.

And while there have been only two drowning deaths in the Colorado River this year, Marsh says its on par with previous years. Even though most drownings are accidents a lot have one thing in common. Marsh says, "I'd say 70, 80, 90 percent of the people who've drowned in this river it's been because of drinking or drug use."