[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 75 (Friday, May 24, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E897]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   LIFEJACKETS: THEY FLOAT--YOU DON'T

                                 ______


                           HON. HOWARD COBLE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 23, 1996

  Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, each year an estimated 76 million Americans--
more than one-fourth of our population--enjoy recreational boating as a 
means to forget the stress and pressure of everyday life. Fortunately, 
our Nation is blessed with vast water resources that provide a means of 
escape for those who just want to ``get away from it all.''
  Tragically--and to a great extent needlessly--approximately 800 
people die each year in boating-related accidents. Recreational boating 
is second only to motor vehicles in the number of transportation-
related fatalities.
  Since 1958, by sponsoring National Safe Boating Week and other 
activities promoting boating safety throughout the year, the United 
States Coast Guard has continuously worked to remind the American 
public of the importance of boating safety. ``Lifejackets: They Float--
You Don't!'' is the slogan of this year's boating safety campaign. 
National Safe Boating Week is being observed this week, May 18-24, just 
prior to Memorial Day weekend which is the beginning of the traditional 
summer boating season.
  Falling overboard and capsizing are the leading causes of boating 
accidents. In 77 percent of the documented recreational boating 
fatalities reported to the Coast Guard, the victim was not wearing a 
personal flotation device, more commonly referred to as a lifejacket. 
The Coast Guard considers wearing a lifejacket the single most 
important factor to ensure survivability in these accidents. It is 
unfortunate that, while hundreds of people die needlessly each year, 
the boating public still does not understand the importance of wearing 
lifejackets.
  The most recent tragic example of the need for lifejackets was the 
drowning of former CIA Director William Colby. It is presumed that Mr. 
Colby drowned when he fell out of his canoe as he was boating in a 
tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. Unfortunately, Mr. Colby was not 
wearing a floatation device when found. Another tragic example is an 
incident that occurred in Arkansas in July 1993. A family of nine (two 
parents and seven children) went out on the Fourche LaFave River in a 
14-foot flat-bottom boat designed for only three people. Although the 
weather was clear and the water was calm, the overloaded boat quickly 
began to take water, and within minutes of leaving the shore the boat 
went down. There were no lifejackets on board even though only two of 
the people could swim. Both parents and five of the children drowned. 
This incident is a textbook case of failure to observe basic boating 
safety rules.
  So as Americans everywhere flock to our Nation's rivers, lakes, and 
oceans to enjoy the hot summer weather, remember ``Lifejackets: They 
Float--You Don't!''

                          ____________________