KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Every year thousands
of people in the United States mourn the loss of loved ones who could have
survived if they had been wearing a life jacket while spending time on or near
our nation’s waters. To heighten awareness for the use of life jackets, the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) recently launched a new water safety
campaign titled “Life Jackets Worn…Nobody Mourns.” USACE, in cooperation with the Corps of Engineers Natural Resources and
Education Foundation, a non-profit foundation established to support USACE
natural resources and recreation programs, developed the campaign that targets
adult males.
In the last 10 years, 88 percent
of all USACE public water-related fatalities were men and 68 percent were
between the ages of 20 and 60, according to data compiled by the USACE National
Operations Center for Water Safety. The center also reports that 84 percent of
all public water-related fatalities involved people not wearing life jackets
and found that the greatest number of water-related fatalities involved people swimming
in areas that are not designated for swimming. Also, 27 percent of boating
fatalities involved people falling overboard.
The USACE National Operations Center for Water Safety offer
these safety reminders when on or near the water:
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A person’s swimming ability generally decreases with age
and regardless of how well you swim you could have to fight for your life due
to conditions such as waves, current, or exhaustion. Swimming in a lake or
river is not like swimming in a pool so wearing a properly-fitted life jacket
is critical. Many people drown when they attempt to retrieve an inflatable toy
or their boat that has drifted away because they cannot swim as far as they
think they can. Also, most people do not have the strength or skill to get back
into a small boat from the water without wearing a life jacket.
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Even
if you think you are a strong swimmer you could drown if you fall into cold
water because it causes an involuntary gasp (or torso) reflex, so a life jacket
is the only thing that can help save your life and give you time to be rescued.
Some researchers believe cold water is anything less than “normal” body
temperature (98.6°F).
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While
boating a person can develop “boater’s hypnosis,” which is a condition where sun,
wind, noise, vibration and motion causes fatigue and slows a person’s reaction
time much like the effects of alcohol. Combining this condition with the use of
alcohol or drugs reduces a person’s coordination, judgment and reaction time
even more. Additionally, if a person swims or falls underwater while under the
influence of alcohol or drugs they can suffer from an inner ear condition that
causes them to become disoriented and unaware of which direction is up or down.
Misjudging your
swimming ability, gasp reflex, boater’s hypnosis, alcohol and drug usage and
thinking nothing will happen to you are just a few of the reasons why even if
you think you are a strong swimmer you should always wear a life jacket. The
best way to lower your risk of drowning is to wear a life jacket, so please
wear it for those who love you. Visit PleaseWearIt.com for more information
on water safety and to download free campaign materials.
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Release no. 16-013