While you want to have fun over the upcoming Fourth of July holiday weekend and through the rest of the swimming and boating season, you also want to make sure water safety plays a key role. Whether you’re at a Corps of Engineer lake or elsewhere you want to ensure you have an enjoyable experience. Nationwide, water-related fatalities have been caused by swimming in undesignated areas without a life jacket, exceeding swimming abilities, falls from docks or falling overboard from boats and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Below are safety tips from the Army Corps of Engineers to help recreation seekers stay safe in the water over the Fourth of July holiday weekend and into the summer:
Alcohol and water don't mix
Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in nearly 20 percent of all boating deaths. Just one beer can impair balance, vision, judgment, and reaction time. Research shows that four hours of boating produces fatigue that simulates drunkenness. Boating fatigue combined with alcohol consumption intensifies the effects of both and increases accident risks.
Boaters
Boaters should take appropriate safety classes, be familiar with governing state laws and have proper safety equipment onboard before boating. Seventy percent of reported fatalities occurred on boats where the operator had not received boating safety instruction, according to USCG statistics.
Within the St. Louis area, it is important for boaters to know Missouri and Illinois state laws. Many states require boater education or boat operator licenses. As an added incentive, most insurance companies offer discounts to boaters who have successfully completed a boating safety course.
Wear a life jacket – don’t just carry one on board. Make sure it is U.S. Coast Guard approved and appropriately sized. Most states, including Illinois, require children under the age of 13 to wear life jackets. In Missouri, the state law requires children under 7 to wear life jackets.
Don't overload the boat (consider boat size, the number of passengers, and extra equipment before loading). Check your boat for all required safety equipment. Carry a set of navigational charts. Check the weather forecast. File a float plan with family or friends who are not on the vessel.
Swimming and Knowing Your Limits
Eighty percent of all swimming-related fatalities at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sites nationwide have occurred in non-designated swimming areas. Don't take chances by over-estimating swimming skills, and swim only in designated areas. Swimmers daring one another to swim outside the buoy line or jumping into water not knowing the depth or location of possible underwater obstructions can lead to tragedy.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, drowning is our nation's sixth leading cause of unintentional injury death for all ages. It is the second leading cause for those in the 1-14 year old age groups. It is the third leading cause for those less than 1 and 15-34 years old. Watch your children at all times when around the water. It takes an average of 20 seconds for a child to drown.
Never dive into lakes and rivers. Never rely on toys such as inner tubes and water wings to stay afloat. Reach or throw a flotation device to help someone in trouble. Don't go in the water! Never swim alone. Boaters and swimmers alike are encouraged to head for cover whenever weather conditions deteriorate into lightning strikes and high wind or waves.
Water Safety, Everyone’s Responsibility
Water safety must be a top priority for everyone using the nation’s waterways and lakes this summer. An estimated 360 million people visit U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recreation areas annually. Corps statistics show that most drownings occur during peak visitation, on weekends during the months of April through September. Fifty percent of all incidents occur in June and July when the projects are the busiest and water temperatures are warmest. Males constitute 88 percent of all Corps water-related fatalities.
Please make your visit to any recreation area a safe and enjoyable one. Taking water safety precautions saves lives – maybe your own.
For additional information about Corps projects, visit http://www.corpslakes.us/. Reservations for camping may be made at 1-877-444-6777, or on the internet at: http://www.recreation.gov/.
The St. Louis District is federal steward to over 300,000 acres of public lands and waters. This includes five multipurpose reservoirs, five navigational projects, 80 miles on the Illinois River, 36 miles on the Kaskaskia River, and 300 miles on the Mississippi River. Carlyle, Rend, and Shelbyville lakes are in Illinois. Mark Twain and Wappapello lakes are in Missouri. The District hosts more than 17 million visits per year. According to visitation reports, 60 percent of these visitors engage in aquatic recreational pursuits such as swimming, boating, or fishing.
For more tips on water safety, visit the Corps' water safety web site: http://watersafety.usace.army.mil/
Visit http://www.cgaux.org/ for information on boating classes.
View the Coast Guard federal regulations governing boating at: http://www.uscgboating.org/
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