Colorado has seen a dip in drownings and water-related deaths so far this year compared to last summer — and state officials hope to keep it that way over the busy Fourth of July weekend.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife public information officer Bridget O’Rourke said the holiday weekend should be fun, so it is important to practice safety when recreating on the water, including wearing a life jacket.

“Our reservoirs and lakes are not the same as swimming in a swimming pool. We don’t have lifeguards watching,” O’Rourke said. “You need to take responsibility for your outdoor recreation.”

Bodies of water in Colorado — especially deep reservoirs and lakes — are often ice-cold because the water is fresh snowmelt, meaning even strong swimmers may struggle to keep their head above water due to cold shock.

Over the past three years, more than 100 people have died recreating on Colorado’s waters, according to unofficial tallies by the state park agency. That includes about 32 water-related fatalities in each of the past two years and 42 in 2022 — when more people than ever died in water-related incidents.

Ahead of the Fourth of July last year, Colorado officials were “begging” those recreating on the water to wear life jackets, also known as personal flotation devices or PFDs, as the state had already recorded nearly 20 water-related deaths.

While water-related deaths are trending well behind last year, with about 10 fatalities involving people recreating on the water so far this summer, O’Rourke said it remains important as ever to wear a life jacket.

“Life jackets are essential because it keeps your head above the water if there is an accident that happens. If bad weather comes in. If your boat flips over,” O’Rourke said, noting that the Fourth of July is one of the busiest weekends for state parks.

The vast majority of water-related deaths involve people who are not wearing life jackets. One analysis of national recreation fatality statistics by the Army Corps of Engineers found that nearly 89% of water-recreation deaths involved people not wearing a life jacket.

Most of the water-related deaths in Colorado so far this year have occurred on reservoirs and lakes and involved people who were not wearing life jackets, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife news releases documenting fatalities at state parks.

State park officials have documented four water-related deaths at Lake Pueblo State Park so far this year, including a case where a man jumped in the water to cool off and two separate incidents involving people fishing. There have also been water-related fatalities at Steamboat State Park, where a local man’s inflatable boat overturned in high winds, and at Spinney Mountain State Park, where a canoe overturned.

Life jackets were not worn in any of those cases, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

“It really is important to wear your life jacket — and the main reason for that is cold-water shock,” O’Rourke said. “If you’re going to be swimming in lakes and reservoirs the water is primarily snow runoff.”

Cold-water shock, an involuntary response to sudden immersion in cold water, can cause a loss of breathing control and muscle cramps, among other issues that can make it hard for even experienced swimmers to get back to their watercraft or to the shore. In those situations, life jackets often live up to their names, keeping people’s heads above water.

O’Rourke noted that many state parks and other recreation areas offer life jackets for members of the public to borrow. It is also the law in Colorado that anyone paddleboarding or boating carry a life jacket with them, she said.

Not carrying a life jacket while paddling or boating can result in a $100 citation. So far this year, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials have already handed out more than 325 citations for failure to have a life jacket, according to the state agency.

“We really want people to be safe and have fun,” O’Rourke said. “Colorado is amazing.”