Cliff Wilson and Joe Holmes, both of Columbus, don”t quite fit the description of risk takers. After pulling their 17-foot fishing boat out of the water at the Columbus Lock and Dam Monday, they admit to wearing life jackets “half the time.”
“Most of the time for fishing tournaments we”ll fish with the life vests,” said Wilson. “We always have them in the boat where we can get to them. We should be wearing them more often than we do.”
The men have never had a boating accident. At least, “not yet,” said Holmes.
Officials with the Tenn-Tom Waterway are hoping to increase the number of safe boaters. With seven accidents already reported this year in the Tenn-Tom, officials are stepping up efforts to educate people about the need to wear lifejackets.
In the most recent accident, five beaver hunters without lifejackets were rescued from the Tenn-Tom Feb. 7.
The incident, which happened near the Nashville Ferry ramp, could have easily resulted in the hunters drowning in the frigid water, said Park Ranger and Waterway Safety Coordinator Joseph Ponder.
“Two things happened that we”re concerned about,” Ponder said of the accident. “There were no lifejackets in the boat and no one was wearing a lifejacket.”
Ponder said incidents of people boating without life jackets happens fairly often. “It”s always an educational issue,” he said.
In 2010, there were 17 drownings in the U.S. Corps of Engineers district that spans Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, a much higher number than usual, Ponder said.
“All those 17 drownings in the Mobile District could have been prevented by wearing a lifejacket,” he added.
In the past five years, Columbus Fire and Rescue has responded to 15 incidents, including three drownings and two capsized boats, according to Fire and Rescue Chief Kenneth Moore.
One lifejacket per person is required on each boat shorter than 16 feet, and everyone has to wear one while on deck, Ponder continued. Free lifejackets are available at each park”s main gate.
Violators, usually “risk takers” between 17 and 31, could receive a $50 citation if caught, he said.
Monday at the Columbus Lock and Dam, boater Wilson also advised boaters to always have their engine kill lanyards attached, and make sure inexperienced or weak swimmers always wear life vests.
Morris Adair has been fishing the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway for 25 years. He can hardly be described as inexperienced, yet he wears his life vest every time he ventures out on the water.
“If you fall you might hit your head. You never know. If you”re out there by yourself, you need a life vest,” he said.
If he”s fishing with his grandchildren, Adair”s rule is “kids don”t get in the boat unless they have one on.”
One of the main benefits of wearing a lifejacket, other than it keeps you afloat, is that it shields the body from the cold and keeps your head out of the water, which helps stave off hypothermia.
Some of the common problems associated with lifejackets are that many in use are out of date, while others are mismatched to their wearers, Ponder said.
The lifejackets must also be designed to fit the situation. There are five types of personal flotation devices for different situations and users that are required by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Besides being approved by the U.S. Coast Guard, all personal flotation devices must be in good and serviceable condition, readily accessible, and the proper size for the intended wearer. Sizing is based on body weight and chest size.
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