Nevada Is One Of The Most Dangerous States In America For Boaters Thanks To This Lake

In the first week of August 2023, monsoon winds gusted into Nevada's Lake Mead National Recreation Area, sweeping unsuspecting swimmers and paddleboarders out of safe swim zones and into the rough waters of the lake. Meanwhile boaters, too, were swept into hazard zones, according to the National Parks Service. By the end of the weekend, there had been two fatalities on one of the most dangerous lakes in America.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area, comprising Lake Mead, Lake Mohave to the south, and portions of the Colorado River (which happens to be the country's #1 destination for a kayaking adventure), is known to be the deadliest national park in the country. Nevada has one of the highest fatality rates in the country, and many of the deaths that contribute to that rating occur here. A total of 29 people died in the park in 2023, a year when it saw 5.8 million visitors. That's substantially more than occurred in the second and third-deadliest parks, The Grand Canyon and Yosemite, respectively.

Drowning is by far the leading cause of death at Lake Mead National Recreation area, with 110 drowning deaths occurring between 2007 and 2024. The second-leading cause of death was automobile accidents, accounting for 66 lost lives. Two of these were caused by hyperthermia (heat-related illness), so if you're heading to the lake for a day on the water, make sure your car is tuned up and full of gas, as a breakdown in the noonday sun can prove deadly. 27 deaths were directly "vessel related," i.e., the result of boating accidents. At least it's good to know that, despite the media attention around a body being discovered inside a barrel after water levels dropped during the last drought, just three deaths in the park were classified as homicides.

High winds and stormy weather create the greatest hazard for boaters on both Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, and summer is peak monsoon season. You wouldn't think that an inland lake would experience strong currents and high seas, but the wind waves on Lake Mead can be up to ten feet high. There are times when the otherwise placid shore looks more like the wild Pacific Coast. Boats can be tossed about beyond the skipper's skillset, and blown into underwater debris hazards like tree snags and sand banks. Even kayakers on the Colorado trying to paddle the short two miles upstream from Willow Beach to stunning Emerald Cove can have trouble making way against the wind. Being flexible with your plans is essential — the day you planned to be on the water might end up being better for a hike or even a casino visit instead.

Those same winds and currents can quickly separate a swimmer from a boat. That happened in July, 2024, when two men, aged 53 and 38, jumped off the boat they were in to go for a swim, and never came back. Their bodies were discovered four days later. While we assume that children should wear life jackets in the water at all times, few adults think of wearing one of the bulky, buoyant safety devices when going for a swim.

Boats can hit submerged objects, a danger that increases when wind takes more control away from the skipper doing the driving. But you don't have to be driving fast, or even swimming, to get into trouble. In 2011, a man drown while wading after his party beached their boat to play on the shore. He was not wearing a lifejacket at the time.

According to the National Parks Service, fully 100% of the drownings in the park could have been prevented if swimmers and boaters had worn a lifejacket. So the best advice of all is pretty simple: Heed the National Parks Service and wear a life jacket. That means everyone, not just the kiddos (unlike the family pictured above). And remember, that $5 inflatable flamingo you bought at Walmart is not a safety device, as recreational float toys easily pop and leave you gasping and treading water with wind waves breaking over your head. Today, pool toys are strictly forbidden on both Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, precisely because they seem to instill a foolish sense of safety among swimmers who think they don't need to don one of the free provided life jackets at the swim beach because they have a float toy around their waist.

Boaters in Nevada born after 1983 are required to take a boater safety course. And it's a good idea to take one even if you're old enough to be grandfathered in. You'll need this certification to rent a motorized boat, regardless of your age. There are many online venues to take and pass the course for a fee, and you can take it for free by mail.