Canadian Red Cross personal flotation devices available on loan

A6

By Yvon Gauvin
Times & Transcript staff

Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

Speak Up

An estimated 200 boaters drown needlessly every year because they did not take precautions including wearing a personal flotation device while out on or in the water, a Canadian Red Cross official long associated with swimming safety programs said recently.

Wayne Young explained that today's personal flotation devices or PFDs as they are called are lightweight, allow full mobility unlike the old life jackets and will save your life in case of an accident.

A person falling in cold waters can expect the effects of hypothermia to begin within minutes and render you incapable of swimming in a short time. The PDF will keep you afloat and increase your chances of survival, he said.

"Of those who have drowned, 90 per cent either did not have, or were not properly wearing either a life jacket or a personal flotation device (PFD)," said Young, the director of injury prevention with the Atlantic zone of the Canadian Red Cross.

The organization has an ongoing program to loan PFDs to anyone planning an outing on the water or swimming event, anything on or near the water, to help ensure their safety.

The program began in Newfoundland & Labrador about a decade ago and has expanded into New Brunswick where several Red Cross service centres now loan out PFDs for up to two weeks at a time including Moncton, Bathurst and Campbellton.

The intent is to cater to group outings as well as residents and visitors wanting to take excursions on the water but don't have the resources to buy their own, he said. A growing number of people returning home for their vacations are coming in each year to borrow a PFD for recreational fishing or boating excursions, he added.

The simpler devices retail for as little as $20 each, he said.

Anyone wanting to borrow a PFD should call several days ahead to reserve one of the devices using the toll free number 1-877-356-3226 or by calling your local Red Cross office directly. The PFDs are fitted according to chest size in adults and weight in children beginning with toddler sizes. There is no charge for borrowing these devices.

In most cases, "you don't know you're wearing it," he said. There is no restriction on movement.

Young said he's hoping that the program will make a significant impact in the number of drownings each year.

Recent reports by the Canadian Red Cross says adult males 25 to 34 are most at-risk of drowning while boating with 39 per cent of drownings occurring as a result of a boating mishap. Alcohol was present or suspected in half of those drownings.

The reports concluded that nearly 2,000 boating deaths over the past decade might have been prevented had basic boating safety measures been taken, such as wearing a life jacket.

"There are no accidents. These deaths were preventable," says Shelley Dalke, national coordinator for Canadian Red Cross swimming and water safety programs.

"Far too often people fail to account for the risks associated with boating. They load their boat with alcohol and either forget to bring a life jacket, or use it as a cushion. The research shows that non-swimmers and weak swimmers were even less likely than other victims to correctly wear a life jacket."