SAFETY ITEMS
Paddle Craft Labeling
Mark It!
paddle craft by labeling it with an 'If Found' sticker. This label allows
responders to contact and confirm if someone is actually in trouble and collect
information to help search efforts. If you don't have a sticker, a simple label
or piece of tape with a name, contact information, and alternate contact number
written in waterproof ink or paint can drastically reduce search times when we
contact the owner. The contact label can also assist in the return of any
wayward watercraft to its owner.
-Take responsibility for recovering your paddle craft. Unmanned
and adrift kayaks, canoes, dinghies, and rowboats often cause hazards to
navigation in the waterway and increase the level of risk and fatigue on
response crews tasked to find the owners associated with the unmanned paddle
craft.
-Do your part to prevent false alarms. First responders
deployed in search of unmanned paddle craft divert resources away from actual
lives in distress.
Wear It Life Jacket
Wear It!
to wear (not stow/bring) a properly fitted Coast Guard-approved
life jacket. Donning a life jacket is much harder once you’re in the water,
especially if you’re fatigued or injured. Wearing an improperly fitted life
jacket is just as deadly as not wearing one at all.
-Use the buddy system. Two people allow one to help the
other in case of emergency, and allows for that critical call for help to
initiate a search and rescue response if the need arises.
-Have a waterproof communications device. Keep
a cell phone in a waterproof case, handheld VHF radio, air horn, whistle
or personal locator beacon on your person in case of emergency.