LAKE STEVENS — Cabinets filled with life jackets that people can borrow for free are opening for the season Friday at Wyatt Park and the downtown boat launch here.
They’re part of a countywide Safe Kids program that lends life jackets to boaters and swimmers for one-day use. Cabinets also are at Martha Lake, Silver Lake, Twin Lakes, Flowing Lake, Lake Tye Park, Wenberg Park and Lake Goodwin.
Memorial Day Weekend marks the start of the peak season for lake use. May and June also are the peak season for drownings, according to a Lake Stevens Fire Department news release.
Drowning is the second-highest cause of accidental death for children between 1 and 4 years old and between 10 and 19 years old, according to Safe Kids Snohomish County. Parents shouldn’t rely on floating toys or swimming lessons to keep their kids safe near water. State law requires children under 12 years old to wear a life jacket on boats, with all straps, zippers and ties secure.
Safe Kids cabinets include directions on how to pick a size and put a life jacket on a child.
Jackets also can be checked out at the Lake Goodwin, Sultan, Monroe and Index fire stations or at Dagmar’s in Everett.
They can’t replace adult supervision, Safe Kids Coordinator Shawneri Guzman said in a news release. Distractions like cellphones can divert parents’ attention long enough for a child to go underwater.
“Kids drown quickly and quietly,” Guzman said. “A drowning child cannot cry or shout for help. The most important precaution for parents is active supervision.”
For more information about keeping kids safe this summer, go to www.providence.org/nw-safekids
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