June 22 is National Lifejacket Day
"It won’t work unless you wear it!"
Red Cross urges boaters to wear their lifejackets this summer
(June 22, 2006) -- What’s your excuse for not wearing a lifejacket? Canadian Red Cross has heard them all from “it’s too nice out” to “I’m close to shore” and “I’m a good swimmer.” This summer, Red Cross urges you to drop the excuses and make sure that everyone in the family is zipped and clipped into their lifejacket before you step foot in your boat.
According to a recent Red Cross 10 year study of drownings in Canada, nearly 200 Canadians drown every year while boating. Of those who drown, 87% are not wearing, or are not properly wearing, a PFD or lifejacket. The study also shows that the vast majority of boating drowning victims, 93%, were men, 15 years or older.
“Lifejackets really do save lives,” says Michelle Mercier, National Manager, Swimming and Water Safety Programs, Canadian Red Cross “But you must wear it. Using your lifejacket as a seat cushion, or stowing it away, won’t help you if something goes wrong. Close by isn’t close enough when it comes to lifejackets.”
Assuming that you will be able to put your lifejacket on if you need it is one of the most dangerous mistakes that people make, Mercier continues. “What you must understand is drowning can happen very quickly. In those seconds when you really need a lifejacket—when it could really save your life—you won’t be able to put it on,” she says. “You will be unconscious and drowning.”
Red Cross is encouraging all boaters, at all skill levels, and in all types of watercrafts, to wear their lifejackets in the boat. And remember to be a good role model – don’t just make the kids wear lifejackets, wear yours too.
Choosing a lifejacket that you will want to wear has never been easier. “No more smelly, bulky orange ‘life preservers’” says Mercier. “Today’s lifejackets are comfortable, easy to wear, even stylish.” For expert information on modern lifejacket options, the Red Cross recommends visiting http://www.wearalifejacket.com/. A project of Red Cross partner the Cook-Rees Memorial Fund for Water Search and Safety, this new web site was launched today, in honour of Lifejacket Day.
Mustang Survival, another Red Cross partner and makers of lifejackets, is also making it easy to wear a lifejacket this summer by offering Canadians an opportunity to win free lifejackets. Enter the National Lifejacket Day Contest for your chance to win one of 10 family packs of lifejackets, or the grand prize of two adult inflatables.
“Putting on your lifejacket should be second nature,” says Mercier, “just like putting on your seatbelt in a car or a raincoat in the rain. A lifejacket can save your life, but you have to wear it for it to work.”
This summer Canadian Red Cross is celebrating 60 years of helping to keep Canadians safe in, on and around water. For more information visit the Swimming and Water Safety program»
Other available resources:
- Fast Facts - Fast Facts – Lifejackets and PFD’s: 10 Years of Drowning Research (PDF, 54kb)
- Tips on choosing and caring for your lifejacket or PFD
- National Lifejacket Day Contest
- More Boating Safety Resources
- More information on Red Cross Drowning Research
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MEDIA CONTACT
Alice Bradbury d’Anjou
A/Manager, Media Relations
Canadian Red Cross
Tel: (613) 740-1928
Cel: (613) 222-6196
OR, Contact your local Red Cross Office.
