Swimming safety

Supervise in or around water. Designate an adult to watch young children near water. Children preschool age and under should be close enough to touch at all times.

Use a U.S. Coast Guardapproved life jacket, even if not on a boat.

Floating toys aren’t safety devices. Don’t use water wings, noodles, or inner tubes as life-jacket substitutes.

Use the buddy system.

Take formal swimming lessons.

Avoid alcohol, especially while watching children.

Watch the weather. Thunderstorms on water can be dangerous.

Take precautions for those with seizure disorders.

Take a CPR class.

Propeller safety

Never allow passengers to ride on the bow, gunwales or transom.

Slow down at a large wake. Cross the wake at an angle, not straight on.

Avoid letting anyone aboard drink alcohol in excess, especially when moving.

Wear your engine cutoff switch lanyard, even if you have to shorten it.

Stay at least 150 feet away from diver-down flags.

Steer clear of diver-down areas; don’t try to idle by.

Don’t let anyone onto the swim platform while the engine is in gear.

When launching or un-grounding a boat, keep people in the water away from the stern and propeller.