I’m going to talk about statistics later in the week, but I wanted to start with the most important safety advice for boating: WEAR YOUR LIFE JACKET.
U.S. Coast Guard statistics show that drowning was the reported cause of death in almost three-fourths of recreational boating fatalities in 2012 and that 85 percent of those who drowned were not wearing life jackets.
I know when I was a kid and my dad lived on Lake Austin, I couldn’t wait to turn 14 so I wouldn’t have to wear a life jacket. Frankly, I was an idiot. Too many things can easily go wrong if you’re not wearing your life jacket. In most emergencies, you won’t have time to get life jackets out of storage and pass out to all your guests. Or heaven forbid you hit your head on something and get knocked unconscious. Wearing a life jacket in advance is the only way to protect you in those circumstances.
Don’t let your vanity cost you your life.
