Life Jackets Save Lives: What 2024 Boating Data Tells Us
, by Steven Reiss, 1 min reading time
A life jacket is most valuable when it is already being worn. Once a person is in the water, weather, cold, injury, fatigue and moving water can make it hard—or impossible—to get one on.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported that 76% of known-cause fatal boating victims in 2024 drowned. In cases where life-jacket use was known, 87% of those victims were not wearing one. Those numbers are a reminder that a personal flotation device is not just required gear to keep aboard; it is everyday safety gear for everyone on the boat.
Before leaving the dock, make sure every passenger has a properly sized, Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Children should wear theirs from the start. Adults should put theirs on before conditions become rough or an emergency begins. A life jacket should fit snugly without riding up around the chin, and it should be inspected for damaged buckles, torn fabric, or waterlogged foam.
Good boating habits work best together. Check the marine forecast, keep a communication plan, file a float plan with someone ashore, and make sure passengers know where emergency equipment is kept. But if someone ends up in the water, a properly fitted life jacket is the simple piece of equipment most likely to buy time and improve the outcome.
At Safe Water, our Marine Articles are here to help boaters build safer habits before every outing. Wear your life jacket before you need it—and encourage everyone aboard to do the same.
Source: U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety 2024 recreational-boating statistics.