COLUMBIA, Pa. — As many families spend time on the water, boating, kayaking or canoeing this Fourth of July weekend, officials urge them to practice safe boating.
Life jackets are the most important piece of equipment that can save your life if you fall into the water. According to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC), 80% of people who die in boating accidents in the state were not wearing a life jacket.
Emergency responders say having a life jacket is equally important as making sure to wear it right.
“Please make sure that they fit whomever you’re putting them on. Make sure all the buckles work. Make sure that there are no holes and that they’re ready to go,” Search 93 paramedic Christopher Fetters said at a recent safety demonstration in York County.
Experts also advised if you’re paddling a boat, start upriver or against the current so that even if you get tired, the current will bring you back to your starting point.
If you do fall out of a boat or kayak, try not to stand up immediately. Rivers and lakes can be full of rocks, logs and other obstacles that can snag your foot.
“Foot entrapments are probably the most dangerous situation. People their feet trapped in and then the force of the water pushes them down and they can’t escape,” said Brock Overlander, who works at Chiques Rock Outfitters in Columbia.
Overlander said Chiques Rock Outfitters has rented kayaks to hundreds of people since 2009 and never had a serious accident thanks to their strict focus on safety.