SOUTH CHARLESTON W.Va. — Operation Life Jacket from the state Division of Natural Resources is in effect this week with the goal of promoting water safety and preventing water accidents by encouraging people to take safety precautions during recreation in natural bodies of water.
The DNR reported five water-related deaths in June, said DNR Police Sgt. Jerry Payne.
“State law says that (boaters) 12 and under has to wear a life jacket,” Payne said. “So we’re looking for that, we’re looking for a large amount of people on a boat, making sure they have enough life jackets that are tied to the people that are on the boat.”
About one in five drowning victims is age 14 and younger, reports the Centers for Disease Control.
“We’ve had several drownings where people weren’t on the boat,” said Payne. “Maybe they were in the water swimming. That’s something people need to consider. That water has current or maybe you’re not as strong a swimmer as you think. When you’re in the swimming pool you’re great, but when you get in the river you might not be near as great.”
About 3,500 non-boat related drownings occurred in the U.S. between 2005-2009, CDC statistics show.
“You have people that maybe wade and fish and you could wear one of the light weight jackets just for the case that maybe you step in a spot that is over your head. And that’s going to save you,” said Payne.
“It’s still a good idea. Even if it wasn’t the law that you had to wear a seat belt, you would wear one.”