Life jackets save lives in a boating accident

Life jackets save lives on the water

A boating accident in June off the southwest coast of Florida highlights the importance of wearing a life jacket.

Seven adults and one child were found clinging to a cooler after their 28-foot boat capsized near Boca Grande. Fortunately, they were all wearing life jackets and were rescued by the Coast Guard, but that’s not always the case.

According to the latest boating statistics from the U.S. Coast Guard, three-quarters of all boaters killed in boating accidents drowned, and 87% of those fatalities were not wearing a life jacket.

Many of these people considered themselves to be long-time boaters who could swim, but in an accident they could lose consciousness.