Play & Water

 
 

Fun Around Lakes, Ponds,
& Rivers

 
 

Be careful around playgrounds near retention ponds and lakes.

The nearby body of water creates an inherent risk.

Tubing in Rivers is a popular family activity.  Wearing a life jacket could save a life. 

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reported 82 drownings in public waters during 2021.

 

Life Jackets

 

1

The United States Coast Guard provides information on how to properly choose and fit an appropriate life jacket for different aquatic activities and ages.

 
 
 
Young boy in canoe. He is sitting sideways with his feet dangling into the water. He is wearing an orange life jacket, a black long sleeve shirt and blue swim shorts.
 

2

Always wear a United States Coast Guard approved, properly-fitted life jacket during any open water related activity.

This includes boating, boarding, fishing, swimming, tubing, skiing, wading, among other activities.

 

3

Parents and adults should also wear life jackets when participating in open water recreation.

Besides saving lives and modeling positive behavior for children, it is easier for individuals to assist a child in the water in an emergent situation if they do not have to focus on staying afloat themselves.

 
 
Group of adults wearing orange life jackets on a speed boat.
A little girl sitting on a chair beside an in ground pool wearing water wings. The whole image has a red X through it.
 

4

Coast Guard Approved Life Jackets are intended for use in and around open water and on vessels.  Not for pool use as a swim aid.

Using life jackets and puddle jumpers in a pool can give a child a false sense of security and teach their body the vertical drowning position.

 

Open Waters Are Unpredictable

Swimming in lakes, ponds, oceans, and rivers takes a more advanced skill set than that possessed by new or basic swimmers due to their unpredictable nature.

Only trained and experienced swimmers should swim in open waters without a life jacket and always in a group.

What are some things that can make the waters unpredictable?

  • Currents

  • Sudden Drop Offs

  • Colder Temperatures

  • Debris/Entanglements 

  • Low Visibility

  • Buoyancy in Different Water Types

 

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