Our view: Stay safe on the water
Heading into Fourth of July weekend is always a good time to advocate for water safety on the lake. But this year, perhaps, more than ever.
The Lake Wylie and Catawba River area has sadly seen four drownings reported in about one week.
While each incident is separate and causes in some of the cases remain under investigation, we urge our lake residents and boaters to practice water safety. One main key to this: Wear a life jacket.
Lake Wylie law enforcement officers joined with Clover High School students last month in an awareness campaign to get more people to wear life jackets. Lake Wylie Marine commissioner Blanche Bryant, one of three commissioners representing York County, is leading the charge.
The students created a public service announcement with more than 50 students donning life vests.
“It may not be the stylish thing, I guess, but if something were to happen – it could happen at any minute,” said freshman Chandler Huskey.
There also is a law for children. In South Carolina, passengers younger than 12 must wear a life jacket while on a boat 16 feet or shorter. However, on larger boats, they aren’t required. But why take chances?
Life jackets are required for personal watercraft operators, too. Kayakers and canoers must have a fitting life jacket per person on board, or on the paddler.
There were no fatalities in York County on Lake Wylie in 2014, but there were a couple of wrecks. The majority of drowning victims in boat wrecks aren’t wearing life jackets, lake officers say.
Wear your jacket. Also, learn to swim.
Clover School District broke ground June 25 on the new aquatic center being built near Crowders Creek Elementary School in Lake Wylie. In the future, all Clover area school children in third grade will learn to swim as part of a curriculum through Upper Palmetto YMCA, which will run the center. We hope the YMCA swim lesson programs will be used not only by grammar students, but others in the community. Perhaps even eventually including a school program requiring all high school students know how to swim to graduate.
One life loss is too much. Our summer season has just begun. Please, play it safe on the water.
This story was originally published June 26, 2015 at 12:10 PM with the headline "Our view: Stay safe on the water."