Life jackets key to safety, say officials

Between Folsom Lake, Lake Natoma and the American River, our region is a water lover's paradise come summertime. But there's a dark side to our natural resource. Crowds of boaters and swimmers, many young adults and intoxicated partiers, make summer months a prime time for accidents.The California Department of Boating and Waterways reported 445 boating-related injuries and 42 fatalities on California waterways in 2006. From 2000 to 2006, 5 deaths and 88 injuries occurred on Folsom Lake. And just last month, a Citrus Heights woman drowned after slipping out of an inner tube in the American River.Sadly, many such deaths were preventable.The 2006 statistics show that 71 percent of those who drowned in boating accidents were not wearing life jackets, said Gloria Sandoval, Cal Boating's spokeswoman. So what's the excuse?"Some strong swimmers will say, 'but I've been swimming my whole life,'" said Sandoval. "They don't think they need to (wear a life jacket)."But it's the unknown, not just lack of ability, that's dangerous, she said."You can get caught in undercurrents just walking in the river. And if you go overboard, hit your head, and get knocked out, it doesn't matter if you're a professional swimmer. You won't be able to swim." Nor will you be capable of swimming if your body goes into hypothermic shock from the impact of waters that remain icy cold year round, something that often comes as a deadly surprise for people attempting to swim across rivers or jump into the water, she said.Another excuse? Life jackets are too expensive. But thanks to a Cal Boating-run life jacket loaner program, designated Folsom and El Dorado Hills fire stations lend out vests, from adult to infant size."We'll size you up, give you a life jacket, and you can return it later-no charge, no hassle," said John Niehues, captain of EDH's Station 84. "We'll take your name and number down, but for the most part it's on the honor system." Then there are the peer pressure-fueled reasons rattled off by young adults: that the jackets create undesirable tan lines or just aren't cool.Not true, says Sandoval."They make some fancy new life jackets now-ski-type jackets, suspenders, lifejackets that come in little pouch bags-you pull a lever and they inflate," she said. Mark Roth of Fair Oaks sported a lightweight, black zip-up life vest as he drove his Sea-Doo off Folsom Point on a recent July morning."Always safety first," he said. "Plus, I have kids, and if I want my kids to wear them, I have to." Though competitive swimmers, Roth's children-ages 21, 16, and 14-all wear the flotation devices. "With the way I drive, I might throw one of them off the boat," he joked.Though Folsom Lake boater Doug Grush cops to not always wearing his vest, he makes sure his 8-year-old son does. Grush keeps the required number of vests in his boat and "we always wear them when we're doing water sports," he said.While Folsom Lake State Recreation Area officials can't make visitors wear life jackets, the agency does enforce a law requiring personal watercraft to have enough devices for each individual on board, said Michael Gross, Folsom's state park superintendent. And as part of the loaner program, vests are also available in certain recreation areas.Gross warns against another danger: mixing water with alcohol, a practice that can interfere with boaters' judgement."We don't recommend it; a lot of boat accidents and drownings invariably occur when people have had too much to drink," he said. "As summer progresses, we expect a lot of crowds and we just want everyone to have a safe, fun time."Cal Boating's campaign," Wear it California!," seeks to spread the message of safety on the busy Delta this summer. Through Labor Day, boaters who approach the "Wear It!" vessel and sign a pledge to wear a life jacket will receive a free stylish inflatable version (worth about $100).So if you're out on the water this summer, there's really no excuse not to be safe rather than sorry."You're best bet is to wear a lifejacket," said Sandoval. "There are just too many options not to."Life jacket loanersFolsom City Fire DepartmentStation 3548 Natoma Street, FolsomEl Dorado Hills Fire DepartmentStation 842180 Francisco Drive, EDHLife jacket informationwww.wearitcalifornia.com