Boating
Safety
The four major causes of drownings are:
1. not wearing a life jacket
2. abuse of alcohol
3. lack of sufficient swimming skills
4. hypothermia.
Each
year, approximately 6,000 people drown in the U.S. Since most drowning
victims had no intention of being in the water, and since most people
drown within 10-30 feet of safety, it is important that you and your
family learn to swim. It is also important to follow some simple but
crucial guidelines if you are going to be near the water.
Before
getting underway:
- Take
a safe boating course.
- Check
the weather forecast.
- Put
on your life jacket and leave your alcohol behind.
- File
a float plan with a friend.
- Check
your boat for all required safety equipment.
- Check
your electrical system and fuel system for gas fumes.
- Follow
manufacturers suggested procedures before starting up.
- Carry
a navigation chart and know your waterway.
- Follow
the navigation rules of the road, buoys and other aids to navigation.
- Be a
safe boater; always post a sharp lookout.
Cold
Water Survival Tips
Many suspected
drowning victims actually die from cold exposure or hypothermia, a condition
in which the body loses heat faster than it can produce it. Violent
shivering develops which may give way to confusion and a loss of body
movement. To avoid hypothermia:
- Dress
warmly with wool clothing.
- Wear
rain gear and stay dry.
- Seek
a warm environment at the first sign (mild shivering) of hypothermia.
If you
fall in the water:
- Dont
discard clothing.
- While
wearing your life jacket, draw your knees and arms together into the
HELP (Heat Escape Lessening Posture) posture.
Swimming
Tips
Please remember:
- Never
rely on toys such as inner tubes and water wings to stay afloat.
- Dont
take chances by overestimating your swimming skills.
- Swim
only in designated swimming areas.
- Never
swim alone.
- Never
dive into lakes and rivers. Every year in diving accidents more than
8,000 people suffer paralyzing spinal cord injuries and another 5,000
die before they reach the hospital.
- Remember,
it only takes a few seconds for a small child to wander away, so please
watch your children at all times.
- More
than half of all the people that drown have consumed alcohol prior
to their accident, so dont drink alcohol if you are planning
to have fun in or on the water.
Buoy
Identification
Know
and Obey All Buoys and Markers
Communication
Aids
•Downloadable
media kit with
PSAs, Stats, Frequently Asked Questions, Points of Contact and a flier
in Spanish is now available. It's 396 KB in PDF.
•News
releases (link to water safety releases on district news release
page)
Water
Safety Public Safety Announcements (Radio)
•Outdoor
fun and life jackets
•Courteous
boaters
•Watch
out for boaters and swimmers
•Rules
•Hot
tempers--cool off
•Bad
weather tragedy
•Diving
into unknown waters
•Summertime
crowds
Clip
Art
This clip art is provided for reproduction in newspapers, magazines
and other publications. All the clip art here is black and white.
Low-resolution copies (These jpg files are 100 dpi)
•Never
swim alone (2 by 1.5 inches-19K)
•Wear
your life jacket. It's your friend for life.(2 by 1.5 inches-19K)
•Don't
swim alone. Take me along (4.25 by 9 inches-90K)
•Water
Safety Tips (4 by 7.5 inches-76K)
High-resolution
copies (These TIFF files are 300dpi)
•Never
swim alone. (2 by 1.5 inches-278K)
•Wear
your life jacket. It's your friend for life.(2 by 1.5 inches-278K)
•Don't
swim alone. Take me along. (4.25 by 9 inches-3.2M
•Water
Safety Tips. (4 by 7.5 inches-2.5M)
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