Life vests can have impact on Colorado River

Knowing equipment locations can make difference in accidents

Yumans flock to the shores of the Colorado River in the summer months to cool off, and many head up Highway 95 with their boats for afternoons spent on sandbars near Martinez Lake.

Labor Day weekend, however, there was a stark reminder of the potential for danger on the river. A Hallett boat carrying 10 people collided head-on Saturday night with a Sleekcraft boat carrying six people near Moabi Regional Park, north of Lake Havasu City, the Associated Press reported.

Four people from the Hallett were missing, and at least nine people were injured. In the aftermath Saturday night, injured victims were found three to five miles downstream from the impact site.

As of Wednesday morning, authorities had recovered the bodies of three of the missing people, but the fourth was had yet to be found.

Accidents can happen at any point in time, be it in a car or a truck or a boat. But when one gets in a car accident, there are safety mechanisms in place to help protect people, like seatbelts and air bags.

In a boat, the best line of defense is a life jacket — but none of the boaters had one on, officials said.

It’s too soon to know for certain if a life vest would have protected the passengers who died. But let’s play devil’s advocate for a moment. If one is knocked unconscious, a life vest could keep one afloat until help arrives, theoretically buying time. Life vests are often brightly colored, which helps first responders find people in peril.

And if you go boating on the Colorado, think for a moment about the last time you wore a life vest, or the last time you saw an adult in a life vest. It’s a rare occasion.

Better yet, think back to the last time you were on a boat. Did you know where the life vests were kept, and could you quickly get to one in an emergency? Many boaters keep them under the seats or tucked away in a storage compartment, hoping that they won’t be needed — but do all the passengers know that?

We know that it is unlikely that every adult who goes boating in the Colorado River will suddenly start to wear a life vest. But at the very least, ask where those life vests are kept on the boat, and familiarize yourself with the safety elements before you go out — the type 4 flotation device, the buoys, the fire extinguisher, etc. If an accident should strike, you are one step ahead. And that might be enough to avoid a tragedy.

DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS OR NOT?