Authorities Stress The Use Of Life Jackets On The Water After Deadly Weekend

PITTSBURG (CBS13) - Drowning can happen very quickly. On Sunday, a man was pulled from the Modesto Reservoir; witnesses say they saw him swimming not far from the shoreline and then he was underwater.

Yesterday a Fairfield man jumped into the waters off the Pittsburg Marina to save his son who had fallen from his fishing boat. The father saved his son's life, but might have lost his own.

Sadly, none of the involved were wearing life jackets.

"The biggest thing is to have life jackets on," according to Sacramento Metro Fire Captain Brian Gonsalves.

Your odds of surviving greatly increase with a life jacket.

"They have never pulled a body out that has drowned that had a life jacket on," Gonsalves said.

So what do you do if you find yourself in rushing water?

"The first thing you need to remember is to stay calm. Try to breathe through its and trying to control your thoughts and actions. Then try to look for a way out," said Gonsalves.

So we asked Captain Gonsalves what to do if you see someone drowning: "If you can reach them reach something out to them. Then you would throw something to them if you can throw something that can float on. If you can roll out to them on a boat."

Gonsalves says only as a last resort do you go into the water to save someone, "a last-ditch effort is if you would ever want to enter the water yourself."