News Release
| Release Number: | 06-124 |
| Dated: | 8/30/2006 |
| Contact: | Jennifer A. Sowell, 503-808-4510 |
PORTLAND, Ore. - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers encourages the public to practice water safety while enjoying the benefits of outdoor recreation during this last holiday of the summer. Labor Day weekend is a busy time at rivers and lakes across Oregon, so to help ensure safe recreation, the Corps' water safety team provides the following safety tips:
Swimming Safety
* LEARN TO SWIM. Make sure you and all your family members know how to swim. Most people drown within 10 to 30 feet of safety.
* NEVER SWIM ALONE. Always swim with a buddy, and if possible, only swim in a designated swim area.
* WEAR A LIFE JACKET. Never rely on toys such as inner tubes and water wings to stay afloat.
* REACH OR THROW, BUT DON’T GO. To help someone in trouble, reach something out to the person or throw an object that floats, but don't go in the water.
* LOOK BEFORE YOUR LEAP. Never dive head-first into lakes and rivers. All too often, rock outcrops or shallow water lead to tragic results.
* ALCOHOL AND WATER DON’T MIX. More than half of all drowning fatalities involve alcohol.
* WATCH CHILDREN AROUND WATER. It only takes a few seconds for a child to wander away and as little as eight seconds for a child to drown.
Boating Safety
* KNOW THE BOATING RULES. Educated boaters are less likely to be involved in accidents. Boaters 50 and younger must now carry a boater education card when operating powerboats (including personal watercraft or any motorized watercraft) greater than 10 hp in Oregon. Go to http://www.boatoregon.com/Education/ to find out how to obtain a card. Also, make sure your boat has all the required safety equipment.
* WEAR YOUR LIFEJACKET. Each boat must have a life jacket in good shape and readily accessible for each person on board. All youth 12 and younger must wear a life jacket when in the boat. This summer is one of the worst on record for drowning fatalities. Water safety experts estimate that 80 percent of boating fatalities could have been prevented if the victims were wearing life jackets. Remember, life jackets float, and you don't.
* USE CAUTION AND OBEY SIGNS. Always obey the "5-mph, slow-no-wake" buoys or signs. Wakes can cause bank erosion and damage docks and other property. Remember to slow down within 200 feet of a dock, launch ramp, marina, moorage, floating home, pier or swim float. Boaters also need to operate at slow-no-wake speeds within 200 feet of a shoreline on a lake, bay or reservoir, and be especially cautious around swimmers, surfers, anglers and diving flags.
* BOAT SOBER. The U.S. Coast Guard reports that alcohol is a major factor in about 50 to 70 percent of all recreational boating fatalities nationwide. Leave alcohol behind. Boat safe, boat sober.
* BE PREPARED. Tell a family member or friend where you are going and how long you will be gone. Check the weather forecast before you go. View Coast Guard boating safety resources at http://www.uscgboating.org/ and review your state laws at http://www.osmb.state.or.us/.
Anchoring in Navigable Waters
* Swift currents, high flows and cold water present unique boating and anchoring conditions on many rivers. To anchor safely, use anchor lines that are five to seven times the depth of the water. River depth may exceed 100 feet in some places, requiring long anchor lines.
* Be sure to use a float for the anchor line to serve as a buffer and to reduce the risk of getting the anchor line caught in the propeller. Lower, don't throw the anchor to avoid line tangles. Anchor only off the bow; anchoring off the stern or side can capsize your boat.
* For more information about anchor safety, please visit the Corps' on-line brochure page at https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/pa/pubs.asp.
Cold Water Survival
Many suspected drowning victims actually die from cold exposure or hypothermia. Hypothermia is a condition in which the body loses heat faster than it can produce it. Violent shivering develops, which may give way to confusion and loss of body movement.
* If you fall in the water, do not discard clothing that may keep you warm, including your shoes, hat and life jacket.
* Draw your limbs into your body and keep armpits and groin areas protected from unnecessary exposure.
* Remember, hypothermia from cold water may occur in any season.
The Corps is the nation's largest federal provider of outdoor, water-based recreation. Nationwide, the Corps operates more than 2,500 recreation areas at 456 projects (mostly reservoirs) and leases an additional 1,800 sites to state or regional parks and recreation authorities or private interests. In fact, about 10 percent of the United States population visits a Corps park each year for hiking, fishing, camping, boating, hunting and other recreational opportunities.
For more information about recreational opportunities at Corps facilities in Oregon, visit our Web site at https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/op/rec/home.asp. For information about the Corps' nationwide recreation programs, visit http://corpslakes.usace.army.mil/visitors/. For additional water safety tips and information, visit the Corps' National Water Safety Program Web site at http://watersafety.usace.army.mil.
Make your visit to any recreation area a safe and enjoyable one. And remember, water safety saves lives!