Lifejackets are no longer those uncomfortable, bright orange things of yesteryear. Designed with comfort in mind, modern personal flotation devices are engineered for safety and can often mean the difference between life and death.
See the hottest new styles at “Project Waterway: Fashion to Splash In” – a lifejacket fashion show, at two locations on Friday, July 15.
At 1 p.m., lifeguards from the Weyerhaeuser-King County Aquatic Center will model and demonstrate lifejackets provided by REI, Northwest Outdoor Center, and Public Health – Seattle & King County, with a special appearance by the King County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit, near the lifeguard stations at Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park at 1201 Lake Washington Blvd. N., Renton.
Project Waterway makes a second appearance that same day at 3 p.m., during the Timber! Outdoor Music Festival at King County’s Tolt-MacDonald Park, 31020 NE 40th St., Carnation.
In a 2015 survey conducted by the King County Flood Control District, nearly half of those who fish, boat, raft, tube or swim at least once a year reported they always or almost always wear a life jacket, while nearly 40 percent said they never do.
Public Health – Seattle & King County reports that that of the 12 preventable drowning incidents on open water in 2015, nine could have been prevented with lifejacket use.
Drowning is a preventable tragedy and an important public health and public safety issue. Warm weather draws people to lakes, rivers and salt water areas, creating high risk situations for themselves, others and rescuers. Swimmers and other water recreationists should follow these recommendations to prevent drownings:
- Know the risks associated with the waterbody you want to visit.
- Learn to swim, including water safety and survival skills.
- Wear a lifejacket. By law, children 12 years old and younger must wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved lifejacket at all times in a moving vessel under 19 feet in length, unless in a fully enclosed area. Borrow a lifejacket from a lifejacket loaner station.
- Swim where there’s a lifeguard.
- Supervise children in or near water.
- Do not use alcohol or drugs during water activities.
- Learn first aid and CPR.
