Posted on 10/02/2005 5:15:48 PM PDT by Sun
This afternoon, in Lake George, NY, 21 senior citizens drowned while on a short, probably just a couple of hours, cruise. There were arouund 49 passengers on the boat.
They were not wearing life jackets.
"Anyone not wearing a lifejacket while a watercraft is under way is an idiot."
Since many of the seniors were in wheel chairs, or used walkers, I'm surprised that they were not STRONGLY encouraged to wear the life jackets.
"In Wisconsin, by law you have to have as many life jackets in the boat as you do people"
It also is a law on federal waterways (i.e. Intracoastal Waterway) and is enforced by the Coast Guard.
Also, in VA anyone under 14 must wear a life jacket when above decks and the boat is underway.
It's like seat belts in a car. Do it all the time and it becomes a habit. I don't go anywhere in a car without wearing my seat belt, and I don't leave the dock without my life jacket on. Same goes for any passengers, either in car or on boat.
I only wear my seat belt if I'm driving on the highway and that's because I was two inches from being run off the freeway on the 4th of July. Scared me to death. I'm almost lucky not to have been killed or very seriously injured. The other driver was going about 70 (in a 55mph zone) and I think was probably DWI. I laid on my horn so fast and hard I thought my airbag was going to deploy.
Family and friends don't let me ride with them unless I put my seat belt on. So I have to put one then. I just don't think about putting it on when I get in my car. I just get in and go.
I'll try to remember to put it on more often so it just becomes habit without even thinking about it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.