News Flash

WEAR A LIFE JACKET.

Life Jackets are a fantastic tool to help everyone stay safe in the water during the whole year, not just the summer months. But like all tools, you have to make sure you get the right one for the job. 

• Ensure you have a US Coast Guard-approved – it will be stamped on the inside with the approval. If it doesn’t have the approval by the US Coast Guard, get rid of it. 
• Make sure your life jacket fits you correctly and is the right size. If the life jacket is too loose, you could slip through it and drown. Make sure that if you lift the life jacket up, it does not go past the bottom part of your ear. 
• Additionally, life jackets have a weight limit of what they can handle. Make sure to check the weight rating for each jacket before putting it on. 

In Missouri:

• All boaters must have a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket on board and they must be accessible for each occupant of the boat.
• Children under the age of seven are required to wear a life jacket whenever they are on a boat unless they are in the cabin area of a houseboat or cruiser. If you take your little ones out for a fishing trip on a little boat, make sure they have their life jacket on. 

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, who gathers all the information on Missouri boating incidents, in 2019, 18 people died and 104 people were injured in recreation boating crashes in Missouri. 

Wear your life jacket – it could save your life.