LASD Palmdale Station Child Safety Month: Boating Safety

Palmdale, California - October 20, 2013

Boating is a great way to spend time with family and friends. However, a fun day on a boat can quickly turn dangerous without taking proper precautions. By following these safety tips you can reduce your family’s odds of being injured while boating.

• Always have you child wear a life jacket while on boats, when participating in water sports or around bodies of water!! The life jacket should be approved by the U.S. Coast Guard. 
• The life jacket should fit securely. Have your child raise their arms straight above their head, if the jacket hits their ears or chin, the jacket may be too big or too loose. 
• Until young babies are at an appropriate weight to wear a floatation device they should not travel on a boat. 
• Young children are at a higher risk for hypothermia. If your child looks cold and is shivering wrap them in a dry blanket or towel. 
• Have enough life jackets on the boat for all passengers. 
• Do not rely on swimming aids such as water wings and swimming noodles. These toys are meant for fun, they should never take place of a U.S. Coast Guard approved floatation device. 
• Educate your child on basic boating rules and be sure to reinforce them. Teach your children to keep their hands and feet inside the boat at all times. 
• Enroll your family in a boating safety course. 
• Do not drink alcohol while boating. The majority of boating deaths occur each year from boat operators being under the influence. 
• Learn CPR. It will give you great piece of mind. Local hospitals, fire departments and the American Red cross offer CPR training. 
• Install a Carbon monoxide alarm on your boat. Carbon monoxide can accumulate in or around the vessel. 
• Teach your child the differences between swimming in open waters and a pool. Uneven surfaces, river currents, ocean underflow and changing weather can take down the best of swimmers. Use caution and only swim in areas fit for your abilities. 
• Make sure your child swims only in areas designated for swimming. Do not dive in shallow waters or in waters you are unable to tell the depth. 
• Enroll your child in swimming lessons. Teach your child how to tread water, float and stay by the shore.

Working together as a community, we can educate ourselves and our children on boating safety to reduce the risk of injury or death. If you have any questions or concerns, please call the Palmdale Sheriff Station at 661-272-2400 or email Deputy Jodi Wolfe at jewolfe@lasd.org.

- Deputy Jodi Wolfe