Life jackets take center stage in Houston County water safety reminder

Lt. Tracey Folds says families should choose snug, U.S. Coast Guard-approved vests before heading to pools, lakes, rivers or the ocean.

KATHLEEN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Houston County safety officials are reminding families to wear life jackets as more people head to pools, lakes, rivers and the ocean this summer.

Lt. Tracey Folds with the Houston County Fire Department says everyone should wear a life jacket when participating in water activities.

“If you’re wearing a life jacket, I would say 80 to 90 percent of the time it makes a difference,” Folds said. “But more often than not, the lack thereof of a life jacket is what prompts our response.”

He says everyone should wear a life jacket when in the water. He says life jackets for older children should be comfortable and fairly snug. For smaller children, buy life jackets with the leg strap to prevent them from slipping out of the jacket. He also shares these tips for adults when looking for the right life jacket.

“For an adult, you’re going to want to be able to breathe and be comfortable, but not too loose,” he said. “The best way to think about it is you want it to fit a little bit tighter than your average seatbelt.”

Folds recommends buying U.S. Coast Guard-approved vests.

“Our life jackets are going to be a little bit different than the average person,” he said. “We use something like a minimalist life jacket. So, we have the option to either use our regular issued PFDs or a separate kind that looks like a towel rolled around your neck. It just has an inflatable cylinder on the inside. They come in two different kinds that are available to civilians.”

Folds says even the best swimmers should always have a life jacket just in case.

“You want to make sure if you are on moving water, try to avoid a situation where you might have to swim,” he said. “Because even experienced swimmers don’t realize the strength of a current. In still water, it’s not that big of a deal, because it’s not going to sweep you away, but it’s always good to have some type of floatation device that is approved.”

For additional tips, the Houston County Fire Department will also host a boater education class  on Saturday, June 27 from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m., at Houston County Fire Department Headquarters at 102 Chief Williams Drive in Kathleen.