PORTLAND, OR -- Temperatures are warming quickly, sending people out on the water and increasing the risk of drowning. And one demographic is especially susceptible.
We all know kids should wear life jackets while out on a boat or other watercraft, "But parents, and especially men, don’t necessarily follow the same rules," says Tom Conning, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Northwestern Division. "I guess we just as males think we’re immune to certain things regarding safety, and so we ignore pretty reasonable safety things like helmets, seatbelts and life jackets." But, he adds, "With life jackets, it is especially stark when you look at the Army Corps data, and it’s 88% of fatalities are adult male." And, he says, most of those men weren’t wearing a life jacket.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages many of the lakes and reservoirs in Oregon created by dams.
Conning says men often cite their strong swimming ability as a reason to not wear a life jacket while on a watercraft. But, he notes, that's not a reliable measure of drowning survivability. "Maybe in the pool, you’re a good swimmer and you’re expecting to be in the water. But, if you’re recreating on a lake, especially here in Oregon, where we have a lot of runoff and it’s very cold water." Falling unexpectedly into very cold water can lead to Cold Water Shock. "There’s a reflex where you gasp," says Conning, "And it’s a reflex, so you’re not controlling that, and then you can inhale water. It doesn’t matter if you can swim or not, because you’re drowning at that point."
He wants men to re-think what constitutes "cool," "strong" and "macho." He asks guys, "Are you man enough to, not only have your kids wear a life jacket, but actually set that example?" Because, he says, kids learn from their fathers, "When they grow up, they’re thinking, ‘oh, my dad never actually wore his because he was able to swim and he’s strong.’ So, not only should you encourage your kids to wear them, but you should model that."
According to the Oregon Marine Board, 13 people died in Oregon last year in recreational boating incidents; of those, 11 were men.
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