Make your kids wear a f’ing life jacket…

[Gellar]

2 separate searches going on in Iowa today for 11 year old kids who disappeared while swimming in a river. These mostly preventable tragedies make my eyes water…

Des Moines teams will resume search for girl in Raccoon River

The Des Moines police dive team will resume searching for an 11-year-old girl who hasn’t been seen since she got off an inflatable raft in the Raccoon River. Police say

www.kwwl.com

Linn County crews continue search for 11-year-old drowning victim at Palisades-Kepler State Park

MT VERNON, Iowa (KWWL) -- Linn County crews are continuing their search Thursday for a 'possible drowning' victim, identified as an 11-year-old girl, in the Cedar River at Palisades-Kepler State

www.kwwl.com

 

[Irrelevant]

2 separate searches going on in Iowa today for 11 year old kids who disappeared while swimming in a river. These mostly preventable tragedies make my eyes water…

Des Moines teams will resume search for girl in Raccoon River

The Des Moines police dive team will resume searching for an 11-year-old girl who hasn’t been seen since she got off an inflatable raft in the Raccoon River. Police say

www.kwwl.com

Linn County crews continue search for 11-year-old drowning victim at Palisades-Kepler State Park

MT VERNON, Iowa (KWWL) -- Linn County crews are continuing their search Thursday for a 'possible drowning' victim, identified as an 11-year-old girl, in the Cedar River at Palisades-Kepler State

www.kwwl.com

I am currently pushing to start my kids on some whitewater adventures. My wife is pushing back with full on assault of similar articles. Terribly sad.

 

[hank4elk]

Never spent a day on the water without a PFD of some sort as a Park Ranger. Canoeing,whitewater rafting, boating. Always wore them.

 

[8andcounting]

Oh no …. Awful . And preventable

 

[AlleghenyElk]

Swimming lessons and life jackets are a must for kiddos

 

[Stocker]

I’ll admit I need to be much stricter on it then I am. If the boats moving, or we are in deep water, I make them wear them. A few weeks ago I posted my son and I fishing. It was hot and we were tied up to the bank so I let him take it off. Got chewed out by the game warden and he was right. My kids are strong swimmers, but it would just be devastating to have something preventable happen.

 

[Gellar]

I am currently pushing to start my kids on some whitewater adventures. My wife is pushing back with full on assault of similar articles. Terribly sad.

Tragedies like these are no reason to quit swimming or boating but they should make us all take pause and evaluate what we can do to prevent it. Wearing a life jacket, enrolling kids in swim lessons, adults paying attention to your kids while they are swimming. I’m an ass and if I see someone that has a kid with no life jacket on I say something to the parent.

The more I think about this I think I will write a grant to install lifejacket loaner stations at our boat landings and water accesses. I have seen them at a few public areas and if they save one person I think it’s worth the effort.

 

[Gellar]

Never spent a day on the water without a PFD of some sort as a Park Ranger. Canoeing,whitewater rafting, boating. Always wore them.

I’m not a park ranger but I’ve had to help with a few searches. None of them were wearing life jackets and most of them involved alcohol.

 

[Gellar]

I’ll admit I need to be much stricter on it then I am. If the boats moving, or we are in deep water, I make them wear them. A few weeks ago I posted my son and I fishing. It was hot and we were tied up to the bank so I let him take it off. Got chewed out by the game warden and he was right. My kids are strong swimmers, but it would just be devastating to have something preventable happen.

Worst day of my job we had to help search for a 2 year old kid. The family was on the sandbar and wanted a family picture as the sun went down. The kid had been wearing a life jacket but they took it off for the picture. They didn’t find the kid when I helped, but they found him the next day.

 

[hank4elk]

I’m not a park ranger but I’ve had to help with a few searches. None of them were wearing life jackets and most of them involved alcohol.

The Navy taught me about water, after my dad had.

 

[EastTNHunter]

I have a friend who handles investigations of water fatalities in my state. He has instilled a very healthy respect of not only wearing a PFD, but wearing it correctly. An incorrectly worn PFD can be just as bad or worse than no PFD at all

 

[crock239]

Both those literally hit close to home. Very sad, and a good albeit sobering reminder to be vigilant with PFDs.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Never spent a day on the water without a PFD of some sort as a Park Ranger. Canoeing,whitewater rafting, boating. Always wore them.

Yep. I have a 24' cruiser and I don't get in it without a PFD on. Never know when some bass tournament junkie may lose control of his $50K overpowered 200 hp surfboard and cut my tug in two.

 

[Irrelevant]

Tragedies like these are no reason to quit swimming or boating but they should make us all take pause and evaluate what we can do to prevent it.

True, but tragedies still happen, and part of that evaluation is determining when the skillset just isn't there, yet. All I'm saying is that it's still tough, allowing your kids to do risky things is incredibly stressful, but also a ton of fun and a great way to learn. And as I've been told, "risky" isn't a quantitative term.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Very sad - but not limited to water sports . . .

4-year-old boy operating full-size ATV crashes and dies in central Minnesota

His 6-year-old cousin riding along jumped from the ATV just before it rolled over, the Sheriff's Office said.

www.startribune.com

 

[longbow51]

The first time we ran Alberton Gorge on the Clark Fork a baby in arms was swept out of grandma's arms. There are a couple of tricky moves there; Split Rock for one. Who takes a baby? That's just putting kids where they shouldn't be.

 

[Irrelevant]

The first time we ran Alberton Gorge on the Clark Fork a baby in arms was swept out of grandma's arms. There are a couple of tricky moves there; Split Rock for one. Who takes a baby? That's just putting kids where they shouldn't be.

plenty of people.

 

[longbow51]

plenty of people.
View attachment 229925

Can't really read that, but if there are Class 3+ rapids there they are idiots.

 

[Irrelevant]

Can't really read that, but if there are Class 3+ rapids there they are idiots.

supposed to be only 2's, but a storm came in a made a series of larger rapids. I know plenty of people who've done crazier. Friend here in town is a world-class kayaker, had his 4yr old doing class 3+ solo in his own boat. Kid couldn't pull the spray skirt until he was like 12...

 

[thomas89]

Signed my daughter up for swim lessons the other day. Several years behind where I think she should be, thanks a lot ‘Rona.

Called the YMCA here to put her in a class of toddlers(3-5…she’s 6), the lady on the other end said there’s no issue with her being in with the younger kids, some parents just don’t want to make their older kids feel different for being in with youngsters and so the 6-12 year old classes fill up way fast and are less available. Personally don’t care if she’s a little uncomfortable, sure beats drowned any day.