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Marc French, a native of Holden, Maine, went with a friend aboard a
12-foot skiff to visit friends aboard a sailing vessel moored
approximately 1,000 yards from shore. The skiff overturned, and
French never made it back to shore, whereas his friend Douglas
Farrel, 26, of Brewer, Maine, did.
Neither man was wearing a personal flotation device.
The U.S. Coast Guard and Auxiliary urge all boaters to wear their
personal flotation devices. They are no longer just the bulky
horseshoe life jackets that many boaters remember (type II).
Personal flotation devices come in a variety of types, sizes and
colors to match the type of boating and the types of water you will
be using, from inflatable (type V hybrid) to offshore PFDs (type I).
Costs of new PFDs range from under $10 to $300 or more, depending on
the type.
Learn more about personal flotation devices and other boating
safety items by taking a safe boating course. Contact your local
Coast Guard Auxiliary flotilla today. To find the closest flotilla,
go to
www.cgaux.org.
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 The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is composed of uniformed,
nonmilitary volunteers who assist the Coast Guard in all of its
varied missions, except for military and direct law enforcement.
These men and women can be found on the nation's waterways, in the
air, in classrooms and on the dock, performing maritime domain
awareness patrols, safety patrols, vessel safety checks and public
education.
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary was founded in 1939 by an act of
Congress as the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and redesignated as the
auxiliary in 1941. Its 30,000 members donate millions of hours
annually in support of Coast Guard missions.
[U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
news release] |
