You know the saying “Hindsight is 20-20”; we always think of things that might have made a difference after the fact.  Recently, a young man drowned in a local lake after falling from a boat and getting hit by a wake board.  After searching for several hours, his body was located, and he was not wearing a life jacket. (One of the rescue workers said they had never pulled anyone out of this particular lake that was wearing a life jacket.)  Without knowing exactly what caused this terrible accident, this tragedy should be a wake up call for all of us to take safety precautions on the water more seriously.

Children must wear life jackets!  Most state laws require that every other person onboard should have access to a life jacket. So, that’s normally the way it goes: the life jacket is on the floor beneath the person, or somewhere within reach.  But if the jacket is not being worn, how is it going to help?  Even if we are strong swimmers, there could be circumstances that cause us to be rendered unconscious if we fell out of a boat.  A rescue worker commented that even though wearing a life jacket is uncomfortable, it’s well worth the inconvenience when it saves someone’s life.

Just a month ago, we posted a boating article which ended with this:

“Things to remember: (1) Wear life jackets – they save lives! (2) Have that designated driver!  (3) Have a safe boat – it can save your life! (4) Be sure to take along sunscreen, and (5) have a first aid kit on your boat.”

So, YES, there are many things that can make a difference when it comes to water safety:

• WEAR A LIFE JACKET!

• DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE A BOAT!

• PAY ATTENTION TO ALL PASSENGERS

• LAKE WATER AND BOOZE JUST DON’T MIX!

• DON’T DRIVE BOATS NEAR SWIMMING AREAS

• COURTESY SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO AND BY JET-SKIERS

We have several more weeks of warm weather and there’s nothing more fun than going to the lake to do some skiing, fishing, camping, and just having all-around fun.  Hundreds of people will be heading to lakes to celebrate the Labor Day holiday.  Don’t let the dog days of summer end in tragedy by disregarding safe practices around water.