June 15, 2008
Ana Hoffman with nephew Aatem (at left) and son Avery (at right) enjoying the fresh air on the Kuskokwim safely in their pfds.
Tell us your saves!
YKHC Injury Prevention seeks true stories of lives saved by life vests and float coats
If your life was saved because you were wearing a float coat or life vest, YKHC's Injury Control and EMS (ICEMS) Program wants to hear from you.
Drowning is one of the five leading causes of death in the YK Delta, and the death rate from drowning is five times higher than in the lower 48. From 2003 to 2005 there were 24 drowning deaths in the YK Delta that could have been prevented had the victim been wearing a personal flotation device (PFD).
"We usually only hear tragic drowning stories about swimmers and boaters who were not wearing PFDs" said Brian Lefferts, Director of ICEMS. "We want to hear stories with happy endings, too."
Success stories collected by the ICEMS Program will be used in an upcoming advertising campaign aimed at increasing PFD usage in the YK Delta. People are asked to include as many details as possible in their testimonials, such as conditions under which the person entered the water, where they fell in, and the type of PFD they were using (float coat or life vest).
To submit your "save" story, mail to YKHC ICEMS, P.O. Box 528, Bethel, AK 99559 or email: brian_lefferts@ykhc.org
Call the ICEMS department at 543-6420
with questions or 1-800-478-3321 ext. 6420.
Kids Don't Float
The ICEMS department has ordered supplies for 29 Kids Don't Float Stations. These stations are filled with vests that can be borrowed while the child is around the water and returned to the station to be used by someone else.
ICEMS also runs a not-for-profit sales shop that sells float coats and life vests to residents of the YK Delta (see advertisement, back page).
"We want to provide life vests and float coats at the lowest possible price, so that everyone can have the opportunity to wear a properly fitting life jacket," said Brian Lefferts, Director of Injury Control and EMS.
To be effective, float coats and life vests must be the correct size and properly secured. There are many dangers in the river that could cause someone to be tossed overboard while boating, or swept away while swimming. For this reason it is important that life vests and float coats be worn at all times around the water.
A Kids Don't Float station is located at the Bethel Small Boat Harbor.
