AUGUST 5, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Lab to Host Clean and Safe Boating Day on August 9 |
PUT-IN-BAY, Ohio – On August 9, 2019, Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Lab join boating safety advocates around the world in hosting a Ready, Set, Wear It Life Jacket event in their local community.
These events are part of the yearlong Safe Boating Campaign to promote boating safety and voluntary, consistent wear of life jackets.
The local event, “Clean and Safe Boating Day,” will take place on Friday, August 9 at the Aquatic Visitors Center (AVC) at Put-In-Bay, Ohio, from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m., and will include both life jacket demonstrations and a waterfront clean-up. The full schedule is available at go.osu.edu/lifejacket.
The Aquatic Visitors Center is located on South Bass Island’s Peach Point, approximately one mile west of downtown Put-In-Bay at the west end of the harbor. The Ohio Clean Marinas Program, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Watercraft and Stone Laboratory will be sharing information about clean and safe boating and the Lake Erie environment.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to recognize the importance of wearing a life jacket, and to highlight other practices that are necessary for a clean, safe, and enjoyable boating experience,” said Ohio Clean Marinas Program Manager Sarah Orlando. “We also want to give boaters the opportunity to learn more about Lake Erie and other Ohio waters through the AVC tours and presentations from our partners.”
In 2018, more than 10,900 people around the world helped set a new record for the number of participants who inflated their life jacket or wore an inherently buoyant life jacket. The AVC has hosted a local event every year since 2013. While this year will not include a world record event, a group photo will still highlight the importance of life jackets and protecting Ohio’s waterways.
U.S. Coast Guard statistics show that drowning was the reported cause of death in in four out of every five recreational boating fatalities in 2017, and that approximately 84.5 percent of those who drowned were not wearing life jackets.
Members of the boating public – including anglers, hunters, paddlers, water skiers and others who use boats – are encouraged to attend. More information about the event is available at go.osu.edu/lifejacket.
The Ohio State University’s Ohio Sea Grant Program is part of NOAA Sea Grant, a network of 34 Sea Grant programs dedicated to the protection and sustainable use of marine and Great Lakes resources. For more information, visit ohioseagrant.osu.edu.
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