There’s been a spike in fatalities on Wisconsin waterways this summer.
“We’ve already had more boating accidents this year than any year in the last decade and we’ve got four months to go,” Paul Smith of the Journal Sentinel told Wisconsin’s Morning News on Friday.
That’s exemplifying the importance of the life jacket.
“They’re expecting a big surge of boating this Labor Day weekend,” Smith said.
“If you’re gonna get out on the water, please do wear a PFD (personal flotation device).”
It’s important to put on the PFD before getting into the water, according to Smith.
“Some people thing of them sort of like a fire extinguisher in your home,” Smith said.
“If you get a kitchen fire that breaks out, you grab the fire extinguisher and you take care of it.”
Smith thinks a better metaphor would be trying to put on a parachute after jumping out of an airplane.
“Once you get in the water, the conditions are just so different,” Smith said.
“And by their nature, these devices are intended to float and your body is mostly underwater.”
For much more from Smith, click here or listen in the player above.