Attempt at Great Salt Lake to break float record falls short
By The Associated Press
| June 8, 2019, 7:17 p.m.
| Updated: 10:37 p.m.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Mikal Kelaitis, floats in the Great Salt Lake during an attempt to beak the record for most people floating at one time, Saturday morning, June 8, 2019. The attempt to break the record was turned-on to a polar plunge, because of the cool temperatures.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Six-year-old Thalia Story splashes through the water at the Great Salt Lake ahead of her family, as they brave the cool temperatures Saturday morning, June 8, 2019.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brave kids ignore the cold temperature as they splash through the water at the Great Salt Lake Saturday, June 8, 2019. The cool temperatures resulted in a crowd of around 300 people, so the attempt to break the world record was turned into a polar plunge.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Participants make their way to the water, at the shores of the Great Salt Lake Saturday, June 8, 2019. The cool temperatures resulted in a crowd of around 300 people, so the attempt to break the world record was turned into a polar plunge.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Participants brave the cold temperature as they venture out into the water at the Great Salt Lake Saturday, June 8, 2019. The cool temperatures resulted in crowd of around 300 people, so the attempt to break the world record was turned into a polar plunge.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Evey Hulderson, 9 and Bridgett Smit, 9, don't seem to mind the cold temperature as they splash through the water at the Great Salt Lake Saturday, June 8, 2019. The cool temperatures resulted in a crowd of around 300 people, so the attempt to break the world record was turned into a polar plunge.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Julia Story splashes through the water with her kids, Kyson, 9 and Thalia, 6, at the Great Salt Lake Saturday, June 8, 2019. The cool temperatures resulted in a crowd of around 300 people, so the attempt to break the world record was turned into a polar plunge.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Participants float in the Great Salt Lake Saturday, June 8, 2019. The cool temperatures resulted in a crowd of around 300 people, so the attempt to break the world record was turned into a polar plunge.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Evey Hulderson, 9 and Bridgett Smit, 9, don't seem to mind the cold temperature as they splash through the water at the Great Salt Lake Saturday, June 8, 2019. The cool temperatures resulted in a crowd of around 300 people, so the attempt to break the world record was turned into a polar plunge.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Participants brave the cold temperature as they venture out into the water at the Great Salt Lake Saturday, June 8, 2019. The cool temperatures resulted in crowd of around 300 people, so the attempt to break the world record was turned into a polar plunge.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Participants float in the Great Salt Lake Saturday, June 8, 2019. The cool temperatures resulted in acrowd of around 300 people, so the attempt to break the world record was turned into a polar plunge.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brave kids ignore the cold temperature as they splash through the water at the Great Salt Lake Saturday, June 8, 2019. The cool temperatures resulted in a crowd of around 300 people, so the attempt to break the world record was turned into a polar plunge.
Magna • A gathering at the Great Salt Lake in hopes of making it into the record books fell way short.
Utah park officials invited people to a beach on the lake’s south end Saturday in an attempt to set the world record for the largest number of people floating together, unassisted, in a line at one time. The lake’s high salinity makes it easy to float on the water.
According to the Guinness World Records website, Argentina holds the current record after 1,941 people successfully floated together on the surface of Lago Epecuén de Carhué in 2017.
Utah State Parks manager Jim Wells said only about 300 people showed up for Saturday’s event but “everybody had fun (and) it ended up being a beautiful day.”
Utah State Parks had organized the attempt, encouraging people to gather at the Great Saltair early Saturday and to enter the lake, flush with water after a wet winter. Park officials picked June because the temperatures are warm and the brine flies are not out.
By The Associated Press
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