Stay Afloat: Always Wear a Life Jacket in National Parks

Always wear a life jacket on, in or near the water. Chelsea Kennedy, NPS.

Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional deaths reported in national parks — and nearly all are preventable. Rivers, lakes and oceans are very different from a swimming pool:

• currents can tire you out and sweep you away;
• distances across water are greater than they look;
• cold water can shock your body and make swimming hard;
• the depth can suddenly drop above chin level;
• underwater hazards such as trees and rocks can trap you.

A life jacket can save your life by preventing drowning, keeping you afloat when you tire and buying time while you wait for rescue. Everyone in the water — swimmers, boaters, anglers — should wear one. Even strong swimmers have drowned or needed rescue. And carrying a life jacket isn't enough: you may not have time to put it on if you slip while fishing or fall out of a boat.

Choose the right kind

Pick the right life jacket for your activity and the right fit for you. NPS photo.

Make sure it's right

Your life jacket must be:

• U.S. Coast Guard–approved (check the label);
• in good, serviceable condition — check its wear and buoyancy every year;
• the right type for your activity and the right size for you;
• worn — not just stowed on board.

Be honest about your swimming skills — they help decide which jacket is best.

Check the fit. It should be comfortably snug. Fasten every strap and raise your arms: the jacket shouldn't ride up. Or have someone lift it at the shoulders — it shouldn't come above your ears.

Be ready for an emergency. Choose a bright color rescuers can spot, and attach a whistle and an emergency light.

A life jacket loaner station at Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River. NPS photo.

Borrow one. Some parks run free life jacket loaner programs — grab one before you go, fit it using the steps above, and return it for the next person.

What the law requires

• Federal law requires a Coast Guard–approved wearable life jacket for every person on a boat. Boats 16 feet or longer, except canoes and kayaks, also need a throwable ring buoy.
• Children under 13 must wear a life jacket on a moving vessel; states may add more requirements.
• Parks may have their own rules. At Upper Delaware, for example, all boaters must wear life jackets when the river is above 6 feet and from November 1 to April 1 — and can be cited if they don't.

Whatever your age, the Park Service recommends you always wear a life jacket on the water.

Sources

Based on "Stay Afloat: Always Wear a Life Jacket," National Park Service health and safety series; a work of the United States government in the public domain.