During these hot weather days, it’s great to spend time with family and friends at the beach or lake. Safe Kids Mid-South, led by Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, offers these life jacket tips:
- Learn to swim. Children and adults should know how to swim. Enroll kids in swim lessons. Many places offer lessons for adults, too!
- Learn how to use a life jacket. Infants, children and non-swimmers should always use a life jacket when near the water, not just when boating. One half of all recreational boating fatalities happen in calm water. They happen close to shore. In most cases, life jackets were stowed on board, but not worn.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, infants, children and adults should try on the life jacket for a perfect fit. They should also follow these recommendations:
- Check the manufacturer’s label to ensure it’s the proper one for your size and weight.
- Make sure the life jacket is properly fastened.
- Hold your hands straight up over your head.
- Ask a friend to grasp the tops of the openings and gently pull up.
- Make sure there is no excess room above the openings and that the jacket doesn’t ride up over the chin and face.
- For the best fit, try the life jacket on in shallow water under safe and supervised conditions.
- The life jacket should keep your head above the water.
Wear your life jacket. They save lives!
