This story was originally published by the Ledger-Enquirer.
As temperatures rise this spring and people head out on boats to enjoy area lakes and rivers, several local groups are again partnering to keep those boaters safe.
Pam Fair, executive director of Safe Kids Columbus, said seven life jacket loaner stations opened on March 26 around the Chattahoochee Valley where people may borrow the life jackets at no cost, and then return them at the end of the day.
“Our goal was to make sure that every boat ramp in our region has a longer station available so that when people go to enjoy the water, they have their safety gear ready at hand if they need it,” Fair said at the Tuesday morning press conference at Lake Oliver Marina in Columbus, Georgia.
Credit: Mike Haskey
Credit: Mike Haskey
The stations are located at:
- Lake Oliver Marina— 5501 River Road, Columbus, Ga.
- Goat Rock Lake Marina— Peggy Lane Boat Ramp in Fortson, Ga.
- Po Boys Landing— County Road 334, Salem, Ala.
- Long Bridge Boat Ramp— County Road 379 Salem, Ala. (near Backwaters Marina)
- Valley Park Recreation Area/Boat Ramp— Off County Road 369, Valley, Ala.
- Idle Hour Boat Ramp— off Mountain Drive in Hamilton, Ga.
- Blanton Creek Campground— 6111 Lick Skillet Road in Hamilton, Ga.
Fair said each station is initially stocked with sizes from infant( less than 30 lbs.) to adult XL, with the goal being to have two life jackets in each size in this range. Fair said she’s also gotten a few in 2X and 3X sizes. Signage at each station is in English, Spanish, and accompanied with graphics to reach as many people as possible.
Community partners monitor the loaner stations, and donations from Academy Sports + Outdoors, the Sea Tow Foundation, and community members help restock each station as needed.
“We have Kiwanis Club of Columbus here at Lake Oliver, and then 1827 Real Estate up in Harris County,” Fair said, “Then the Lake Harding Neighborhood Association helps us with the stations on the Alabama side. So it’s a great partnership.”
Game Warden First Class Ryan Buice, with the law enforcement division of the Georgia DNR, said Georgia law requires each person aboard a vessel in Georgia waters to have a fitting life jacket or personal flotation device(PFD).
Credit: Mike Haskey
Credit: Mike Haskey
“These lifejacket loaner stations are great,” Buice said. “Maybe they forgot their lifejacket. They can fulfill that legal requirement and be safe on the water.”
Buice also encourages people to wear their life jackets when on the water.
“Those lifejackets do a very good job of what they’re supposed to do. They save lives,” Buice said. “Not wearing one because you think you can put it on an emergency is not going to help you.”
Fair said these loaner life jackets are “use at your risk.” People using them are responsible to make sure the life jackets are in good working order and the proper size.
“The person who’s using it is responsible to do that,” she said, “but the fact that the resource is there, we think it’s definitely saving lives.”
Credit: Ledger-Enquirer
Credit: Ledger-Enquirer
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