EDITORIAL: Don’t take that chance: Wear a life jacket

Published 5:23 pm Tuesday, February 25, 2025

2023, and there were 101 accidents and 58 injuries on our waterways, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

But more than 70% of boating deaths are the result of the person not wearing a life jacket.

Please don’t add to the statistics.

The weather hasn’t warmed yet and we’re still weeks away from Memorial Day, but already we’ve seen deaths on our lakes.

At the writing of this editorial, we are on Day 16 of a massive search for a missing boater on Lake Oconee. Utilizing local, area and state resources, officials and volunteers are still searching in hopes of finding Gary Jones, who has been missing since Feb. 8.

This tragedy should be a reminder to us all that the open waters are often unforgiving.

That’s why it’s important to educate ourselves about the importance of life vests and put what we know into practice.

Experts say wearing a life jacket should be routine, es- pecially in deep waters, just like putting on a seat belt.

But just like seat belts, too many of us don’t see the importance.

Many of us who have grown up in Georgia’s Lake Country contend that we are seasoned swimmers and know the water. But statistics show that many people who drown in open waters were good swimmers.

Some people say life jackets are uncomfortable or an inconvenience. But is a little discomfort worth risking your life?

Even the strongest swimmers can be overcome by treacherous conditions. There are so many factors that make bodies of natural water vastly different than a swimming pool. The distance across a body of water is always greater than it looks. Cold water can shock the body and make it difficult to swim and the depth of the water can change quickly.

Another dangerous factor in the mix can be alcohol, which can dull senses and impair judgment.

Georgia law requires all boats must have at least one

U.S. Coast Guard–approved and properly fitting per- sonal flotation device, or life jacket, for each person on board. State law also requires all children younger than 13 to wear a life jacket while on board a boat. And even though adults and people 13 and over are not required to wear a life jacket, they should.

There’s little to no time to put one on in an emergency. Even experienced DNR game wardens, who are trained in high-stakes boat operations, wear life jackets

every time they take to the water. We should too.

Simply carrying a life jacket is not enough as you may not have time to put it on if you encounter a water haz- ard, slip while fishing, or fall out of your vessel.

Please don’t take that chance.