Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day is May 17

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will join boating professionals and outdoor enthusiasts to heighten awareness of different life jacket styles and demonstrate their comfort and versatility by wearing them to work on Friday, May 17, for Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day.

The annual event, hosted by the National Safe Boating Council, is a fun, educational element just prior to National Safe Boating Week, May 18-24, the official launch of the 2019 Safe Boating Campaign. Educating the boating public about the safety and comfort of life jackets is a focus of the campaign.

The National Safe Boating Council is asking all participants to take a photo of themselves in their life jacket while at work and post it to the “Ready, Set, Wear It” Facebook page. Participants are also encouraged to tweet their photo using #lifejacket2work.

U.S. Coast Guard statistics show that drowning was the reported cause of death in four out of every five recreational boating fatalities in 2017 and approximately 84.5 percent of those who drowned were not wearing life jackets.

For more information, contact Sara Smith, boating education coordinator, for FWP’s Recreational Boating Safety Program at 406-444-5280 or sarsmith@mt.gov.