Choose a safe life jacket for your kids

Published 12:01 am Sunday, June 19, 2011

A little boy refused to join his family as they walked down a dock for a day on the water.

Befuddled, the boy’s grandfather quizzed him. The boy usually couldn’t wait to get on the boat.

As it turns out, the boy was practicing safe water skills, a lesson he’d learned earlier that week from a sheriff’s deputy. The boy had been told not to go near the water without a life jacket.

It’s an important lesson in Snohomish County, where swift rivers and low water temperatures pose serious dangers to swimmers and boaters.

Each year, about 100 people drown in Washington. As summer heats up, the abundant waterfronts beckon, and risks for deadly encounters increase.

Already this year, two people, including a teenager, died while fishing off Camano Island.

It’s unclear if life jackets could have prevented that tragedy, but it’s absolutely true that lives can be saved by wearing proper flotation devices, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Lt. Rondey Rochon said.

Life jackets are especially important for children who often underestimate their water skills.

“It only takes a second — you only have to look away for a second — for something bad to happen,” said Kim Schroeder, a water-safety specialist with Snohomish County Fire District 1. “If it’s preventable, let’s prevent it.”

Whenever kids get near the water, rivers, lakes or bays, flotation devices can save lives.

But buying a life jacket can be confusing. There are a variety of life jackets for different uses.

Finding the best one doesn’t need to be difficult.

First, when shopping for a flotation device, make sure it is U.S. Coast Guard approved. Ask a salesperson what kind of life jacket is best for the activity the child will be doing. Flotation devices for river rafting are different from one for fishing in the sound or sailing at sea.

Proper fit also is essential, Schroeder said.

When fitted correctly, the flotation device should hold the child snugly. If the child can move around, the life jacket could slip off.

Consider having children pick out their life jackets so they are more willing to wear them. Flotation devices come in a variety of colors and some are decorated with action heroes and cartoon characters.

Inflatable “wings” or “floaties” are not substitutes.

“Those are water toys to be used in a bathtub,” Rochon said.

It’s equally important for grownups to pay close attention to children playing in the water.

“Who’s watching them?” Rochon asked. “If (adults are) talking, nobody’s watching.”

Adults need to watch kids all the time they are in water, whether it’s the river, lake, swimming pool or bathtub, experts say.

Even at popular Snohomish County beaches where life jackets are available for free, adults need to focus fully on watching kids at play. Drowning only takes a matter of seconds.

Rochon said he wants everyone who goes into the water to have a good time this summer.

“And to come home.”

Safety tips

Water Safety Tips from the Washington State Department of Health

• Remember that while the air may be warm, streams, lakes and the bay can be frigid. Always wear a life jacket that fits.
• Know your limits. Swimming in open water is more demanding than pool swimming. Watch out for currents and other hazards, like big logs in the river.
• Swim in life-guarded areas but still make sure adults watch children.
• Don’t overload boats.
• Stay sober. Alcohol and other drugs increase risks.
• Don’t allow kids in or near pools or other bodies of water without adult supervision.
• Barriers surrounding pools should be at least four feet high.
• Learn how to swim, and take CPR and first aid classes to know how to respond in an emergency.
• Call 911 to summon help.
Washington Department of Health

Free life jacket loaners

These Snohomish County locations have free life jackets available for day use:

• Flowing Lake
• Kayak Point
• Lake Goodwin
• Lake Stevens
• Martha Lake
• Monroe Fire Department
• Twin Lakes