Kids learn by watching and emulating what they see their parents doing - or in some cases, not doing.
I don’t know many times I’ve watched people head out on the water in a boat with children onboard, and no one is wearing a life jacket or personal flotation device (PFD).
Surely the adults operating these boats should have been setting a proper example for the children.
Every year way too many people drown in this province while taking part in activities on the water. The worst part is that most of these people, over 87 per cent of them, were not wearing a life-jacket or PFD. The tragic part is that some of them are children. It’s one thing when adults do not wear a life-jacket … and yes I know, technically they only have to have them on- board a watercraft. They do not actually have to wear them – but surely the safety and well-being of children should be of the ultimate concern at all times.
Under the federal government’s regulations, a person operating a boat or pleasure craft is responsible for equipping the boat with the proper mandatory safety equipment to ensure the safety of those onboard. Operators and/or owners of boats and pleasure craft who do not comply with these regulations can be subject to penalties and fines of up to $200 for each person not wearing an approved life-jacket. The cost of a good quality Coast Guard-approved life-jacket is considerably less than the cost of a fine.
Whether in a boat, on a dock or simply near the water, children are always safer if they are wearing a life-jacket.
There are a number of things one needs to take into consideration when choosing a life-jacket or PFD, especially for young children. First of all, consider the type of water activities that you and your family enjoy. Today there are life-jackets and PFD’s specially designed for virtually every type of water activity, including pleasure boating, fishing, waterskiing, tubing, kayaking, canoeing and rafting. When determining what size of life-jacket or PFD to wear, remember that sizing is based on chest measurements for adults and weight for children. Read the label for details. And, most important, try the life-jacket or PFD on your children before buying. It should fit snugly, with all the buckles, zippers and snaps done up, but still allow room to breathe and move around freely. Have children try walking around and sitting with it on as well. A life-jacket or PFD is too big if you can pull it up over their ears and too small if you/they cannot fasten all the buckles and/or do up all the straps.
Remember too that children have differing levels of skill and physical strength, not to mention swimming ability. A life-jacket or PFD can make all the difference in a life-threatening situation. As a kid, my father always made us wear life- jackets in the boat. We simply were not allowed to go out in a boat, with him or anyone else, if we were not wearing a life-jacket. Even on the hottest of days, he was not prepared to take a chance.
Since those early days of my youth I have spent a fair amount of time on the water and I still simply will not go out without a life-jacket – in part because my father set an example for us by wearing his and impressing upon us kids the need to be safe out on the water. Also, in part for the plain and simple reason that I am not a strong swimmer. I’m not sure that I could save myself, let alone anyone else, if I was not wearing a life-jacket.
Any way that you want to look at it, when it comes to children wearing life-jackets, a life-jacket only has to work once to make it all worthwhile.