By Staff
Memorial Day weekend traditionally marks the time for many to “get your boat in the water.”
With that in mind, this week has been designated as National Safe Boating Week.
This year, the emphasis is on the importance of life jackets. The theme of the North American Safe Boating Campaign is "Wear It!"
A life jacket is the best way you and your family have of surviving a boating accident and avoid drowning.
"Skydivers use parachutes, football players take the field with helmets on, and responsible drivers buckle up," notes Virgil Chambers, Executive Director of the National Safe Boating Council (NSBC). "Boaters can stay safe on our nation's waters by adopting the same second-nature approach to wearing their life jackets."
Statistics from 2004 show that as boating fatalities have increased, so have the number of those who fail to don a life jacket. That year, 90 percent of boaters who drowned were not wearing a life jacket.
This year, former Survivor star Rudy Boesch is helping to promote a new "Be a Survivor!" contest. "Be a Survivor!" will engage recreational boaters nationwide on the topic of boating safety, inviting individuals to submit personal testimonials on how the life jacket has made a difference in their boating experience.
Entries are now being accepted at www.SafeBoatingCampaign.com, where campaign materials and additional safe boating resources can also be found. Winners will be announced Sept. 4 and have their story published in the NSBC book, “Saved By the Jacket.”
The NSBC also hopes to raise awareness of the advances in the modern life jacket. Offering the latest technological innovations, current models can be customized for specific water activities and outings without sacrificing comfort or freedom of movement.
Don't let a family member forget a basic rule which can save their life. Make sure everyone wears a life jacket, whenever they are boating.