Wear It

     Lifevests are made to be worn.  The water temperatures are cooling off and the air temperatures are too.  This should make paddlers think about the possibility of hypothermia.  It doesn’t take much time in the cold water to cool one’s body temperature down and without a lifevest on unconsciousness could cause one to sink to the bottom of the lake never to be found again.  A lifevest will not work if it is not worn. 

     A canoe outing in Florida resulted in the death of one individual when their canoe overturned.  None of the passengers were wearing a lifevest including a three year old girl.  The three adults in that canoe should have made sure the child was at least wearing a lifevest.  Please use common sense when it comes to wearing a lifevest and do not become another headline.

Homestead, Fla. — A 3-year-old is alive after a canoe with four people aboard capsized Sunday, killing one aboard, police said.

 

Miami– Dade Police said the incident happened at Biscayne National Park near the 9700 block of S.W. 328 Street.  Police said the canoe flipped over, launching all four passengers into the water. One person drowned. The other three people, including the 3-year old girl, were able to swim to shore, according to police.  Rescue workers said the death could have been prevented if the boaters had been wearing life vests.  It is the law in Florida to wear life vests. Boats must have at least one vest for every person on a boat.