CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Ohio department of natural resources reports 67 boating-related deaths since 2015. The majority of people who died, 52 souls, were not wearing life jackets, or not wearing them properly.
Officer Chris Conrad of the ODNR Division of Watercraft says before you leave the shore, make sure you go through your safety checklist, and always remember that life jackets float... A person does not.
- Hand Flares— (Coast Guard approved, good condition and readily available)
- A couple of fire extinguishers (Have them tested regularly)
- Type 4 Throwable Device (Ring buoy or flat square cushion, required on boats 16' and longer)
- Something to produce sound (Kayaks, canoes and large vessels need a whistle or a bell)
“And with all of these safety precautions, officials say the most important thing you can do while on the water is to wear your life jacket. You want to make sure they’re in good condition with no rips or tears, that they’re coast guard approved and that they actually fit the person that’s wearing them.”
“We do recommend that you do wear these at all times because you never know when you’re going to run into a problem out on the water like changing conditions.““Lake Erie is Notorious for having very high wave spectrum in a very short amount of time. We’re talking within 10 minutes we could see 6-foot waves from a dead calm lake.”
Officer Conrad told Spectrum News 1, always check the weather, even if it seems like a nice day.
“we get these days on Lake Erie that the air temperature is 70/75 degrees and the water temperature can be 50/55 degrees.”
According to the ODNR, hypothermia can set in 50-degree water temperatures and can set in at only 30 minutes.
“it's a good idea just to wait until that water does warm up a little bit to head out.”
But, if you do decide to go out, the ODNR says your chances of survival are significantly increased when you suit up with your life jacket.