June 15, 2007
Be Safe This Summer. Guy Guy and his family never go out boating without their life jackets and float coats.
Keep water safety in mind while having summer fun
by Spruce Lynch, YKHC Health Education Dept.
It’s that wonderful time of year when people are able to go boating, swimming and fishing.
We have some of the most beautiful land in the world with the most beautiful waterways one could ever find.
Many people will be out and about, enjoying nature.
The land is so wonder-filled that people sometimes forget that we have to exercise caution. Injuries can happen on beautiful days when everything seems to be going so well. Injuries occur when we don’t plan ahead. Injuries occur because we don’t think it can happen to us. Injuries can be prevented.
From 1990 to 2005, there were 121 boating-related drowning deaths here in the Delta. Additionally, 64 people drowned who were not boating (Bureau of Vital Statistics). The number of people who have lost their lives outside of boating events has been increasing. The tragic loss of life has effects all throughout our communities which we feel for years and even generations.
Let’s work to change this. Let’s make it a safer summer for everyone. Here are some suggestions that will help.
- Always wear a personal floating device (PFD) in a boat. Always. Even if you are good swimmer, you can still be affected by hypothermia if you fall into the water. Practice safe boating rules. Set firm limits on behavior and don’t allow people to take chances.
- Tell someone where you are going and an estimated time of when you will be returning. That will give people information they will need if you get into trouble and don’t make it home in time. Consider taking a cell phone or a VHF radio with you. Make sure whatever you take with you for communication is in working condition.
- Whenever your children are near the river/ocean, have them wear a PFD. The possibility always exists that a child could slip and fall into the river or ocean. If a fast moving current is moving through, disaster could strike.