RALEIGH, NC- The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will partner with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in a summer boating safety campaign, "Saved by the Zone: The Life Jacket Zone." Other partners include N.C. State Parks, the Neuse Riverkeeper Foundation, Safe Kids Wake County and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
The boating safety partnership is coordinating "Life Jacket Zone" stencils painted at boat ramps across the state and in southern Virginia, along with boating safety educational events and an online life jacket photo contest. The campaign will urge boaters to wear a life jacket anytime they are on the water. Learn more at www.facebook.com/LifeJacketZoneNC.
The campaign will kick-off with a Triangle Boating Safety Day at Falls Lake on May 3 from 1-3 p.m. Staff from the Corps of Engineers, Wildlife Commission and other boating safety partners will set up interactive displays, giveaways and a free life jacket exchange for children while supplies last, along with patrol boat ride-along opportunities for the media. The event will take place at the Highway 50 Boating Access Area, located at 13900 Creedmoor Road, Wake Forest, N.C.
"Most people who drown in a boating accident had a life jacket available, but they were not wearing it when they entered the water," said Maj. Chris Huebner, the Commission's boating safety coordinator. "Accidents happen quickly. Too often, there isn't time or you are unable to locate a life jacket and put it on."
State law requires children younger than 13 to wear an appropriate life jacket whenever they are on a recreational vessel that is under way. It must be U.S. Coast Guard approved and be a proper fit, with youth sizes corresponding to weight.
State law also requires all personal watercraft riders and anyone being towed to wear proper life jackets. All recreational vessels must have a life jacket of a suitable size for each person aboard and each skier being towed. Learn more at http://www.ncwildlife.org/Boating/LawsSafety.aspx
About the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
Since 1947, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has been dedicated to the conservation and sustainability of the state's fish and wildlife resources through research, scientific management, wise use, and public input. The Commission is the state regulatory agency responsible for the enforcement of fishing, hunting, trapping and boating laws and provides programs and opportunities for wildlife-related educational, recreational and sporting activities. To learn more, visit www.ncwildlife.org.
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Media contact: Geoff Cantrell
919-707-0186
geoff.cantrell@ncwildlife.org
