COLUMBUS, OH - As part of the states Buckle Up campaign June 28 through July 7, state watercraft officers will give a special whistle to each boater seen wearing the proper life jacket, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
The whistles serve as a signaling device for anyone accidentally in the water, making them an effective safety accessory for a life jacket. State boating officials recommend that such whistles be attached to life jackets.
This campaign helps explain to boaters that life jackets may someday save their life, said Jeff Hoedt, chief of the ODNR Division of Watercraft.
Most fatal boating accidents occur when someone falls overboard or capsizes their boat. Even experienced swimmers can lose their coordination, tire, and drown.
The special safety campaign is designed to increase awareness about boating safety and to encourage all boaters to properly wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket. Personal watercraft users, water skiers and tubers, and children under 10 years of age on boats less than 18 feet long are each required by state law to wear a life jacket while on Ohios waterways.
For Further Information Contact:
John Wisse, ODNR Division of Watercraft
(614) 265-6695
-or-
Andy Ware, ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6882