 Vaal River, I feel that it is imperative as a keen boater and Insurance provider for the boating community that I outline the importance of wearing a SABS approved life jacket and not just an impact vest when on a boat or jet-ski. The impact vests really don’t have the necessary buoyancy required in the event of an accident on the water. It is especially important in water that has zero visibility below the surface, but regardless of visibility issues, all boaters and Jet-Skiers need to be cognisant of the danger you are exposing yourself and/or your passengers to by not wearing one. No matter how you look at it most boating accidents have a predictable outcome – you in the water fighting for your life, if you aren’t wearing a life jacket, your survival chances are marginal. Best-case scenario, you fall overboard without injuring yourself and a person remaining on the boat or a nearby boater can recover you. Almost every other scenario, surviving a boating accident as a result of being ejected from the boat without a life jacket depends on a quick rescue! If you still need persuading, have a look at these statistics: Capsizing and falling overboard are the most reported types of fatal accidents, comprising 59 percent of all boating fatalities. |
Nine of ten drowning victims may have survived a capsizing or fall overboard if they had been wearing a life jacket. By wearing a life jacket while boating, you increase the chances of surviving exponentially. Think of it another way: without a lifejacket, how long can you tread water while waiting for rescue? What if you were injured? You cannot prevent an accident by your boating skill or experience alone. Boaters with more than 100 hours boating experience, who are 36 years or older and don’t have formal boating safety education are responsible for most of the boating accidents and fatalities. Even if you have confidence in your boating skills, consider the many boaters who are less experienced and educated who share the waterways with you. Comfort is no longer an issue. The major reason boaters don’t wearing life jackets is they value comfort over safety. Thankfully, boating supply manufacturers have responded by producing lightweight life jackets that can be worn without discomfort for an entire day of boating. There really is no reason not to wear a life jacket, and require all your passengers to wear one as well. It sounds like one of the most basic, common sense safety procedures that you can follow when you’re boating. Everyone knows that wearing a life jacket when you’re boating will help you in the event that there’s a boating accident. Just about any boating accident is going to result with you in the water, doing your best to survive. Unless you’re within a few hundred feet of shore, your chances of survival after a boating accident without a life jacket are relatively small. Part of the reason for this survivability issue is that when you fall out of a boat, you will probably sustains some injury or another. This may hamper your ability to swim or even tread water. If you’re ejected from a boat without a life jacket, you have to depend on a quick rescue just to make it back to shore alive. So please, rather be safe than sorry! There really are some cool life jackets out there, so if coolnessis a priority – problem solved! |
Summer is here, here’s to happy and safe boating!
Article courtesy of Leisure Boating - November 2012
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