North Memorial Health Supplies Loaner Life Jackets at Area Lakes
A local healthcare provider is making it easier for boaters to stay safe when they’re out on the water.
North Memorial Health and other community partners have installed loaner life jacket stations at Weaver Lake in Maple Grove and other boat launches across the metro.
“It’s easy to forget a life jacket or not have the right size or right number for people who are going on the lake that day,” said Sheila Nesbitt, trauma outreach and prevention coordinator for North Memorial. “So we have a life jacket, a flotation station, that has life jackets of all sizes available so people can just stop by here.”
These so-called “flotation stations” are part of an effort to prevent drownings, which are a more common occurrence than some might believe.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 4,000 Americans die each year in drowning incidents. That’s about 11 people per day.
“Drowning is a big concern for people of all ages,” Nesbitt said. “So it’s not just young children that we want wearing life jackets. It’s everyone of all ages.”
Nesbitt also warned boaters to be mindful of other potential dangers while out on the water.
“We never want to see people who are injured out on the lake,” she said. “[We’re] also thinking about general safety around boats. Being very careful around boat propellers, being very careful with ropes if they’re doing any water skiing or towing anyone behind the rope.”
Loaner life jackets at the flotation stations are free to use.
