Life jackets are life savers

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), August, 2005

It is not the most attractive part of recreational boating, but it is the most important: a personal flotation device (PFD), more commonly known as a life jacket. While that may seem obvious, most boaters are not prepared to deal with an accident that puts them in the water. Coast Guard statistics show that, in a recent 12-month stretch, of the 524 recreational boaters who drowned, 442 were not wearing PFDs.

"Life jackets don't work unless you wear them." states John Drengenberg, manager of Consumer Affairs for Underwriters Laboratories Inc., Northbrook III., an independent. not-for-profit testing and certification organization. "No one plans to fall overboard." he notes. "but life jackets need to be available, cry, and worn. Once you're in the water, life jackets are almost impossible to find and put on quickly."

Drengenberg gives the following tips for safe recreational boating:

* Make sure there is at least one Coast Guard-approved PFD available for each person on board.

* Read the label to ensure that the device is appropriate for the individual's height and weight.

* Inspect life jackets for rips, holes, and tears; see that the straps and hardware are in place and secure.

* Check the PFD's buoyancy in shallow water before venturing far from shore. Relax your body and let your head tilt back. The PFD should keep your chin above water and allow you to breathe easily.

* Store PFDs properly. Do not expose them to the sun for long periods or dry them on a radiator or heater because sunlight and heat can weaken some synthetic fabrics and degrade the buoyancy material. Do not store life preservers where they can become wet and mildewed.

* Stand out in a crowd. "Your PFD should make you highly visible in the water," Drengenberg concludes. "Orange may not be your color, but it's the easiest one for rescuers to spot when you're in trouble."