First Responders Stress Water Safety During Heat Wave

GIG HARBOR, WA — Another bout of hot weather has arrived in Puget Sound. While it can be fun to get out onto the water to beat the heat, first responders want to remind everyone to be careful out there.

Just this weekend, Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One says its crews were called to rescue six struggling paddleboarders off the Key Peninsula. All six made it safely to shore without any injuries or complications, but only one of them had a life jacket on, which the fire department says is a recipe for disaster.

"Please remember our waterways are ever-changing and are still quite cold," the fire department wrote in a Facebook post about the incident. "Wearing life jackets can make the difference between life and death."

According to the Coast Guard, in 2019 86 percent of drowning victims nationwide were not wearing life jackets. Putting one on can be the difference between life and death.

Another key safety tip: know that Puget Sound can still be quite cold, despite the summer heat. Washington waterways stay under 60 degrees for most of the year. Safety experts with Washington State Parks say anything below 70 degrees is "cold water" which can easily cause cold-water shock and hypothermia if you're unprepared or fall into the water on accident:

"You may think this can't be true because people swim in cold water, do the 'Polar Plunge', or use cold-water therapy in sports medicine and they don't die. Those situations aren't accidental. Cold-water immersion is dangerous when you're in an accident (you're surprised to fall in the water) and you have a physiological response you cannot control due to the shock."

If you fall overboard, it can take just three minutes in cold water before your body goes into cold-water shock. If that happens, a life jacket can be a lifesaver as it will keep your head above water.

>> Read more about cold water safety from Washington State Parks.

Here are a few more tips from the Coast Guard on making your summer boat trips don't end in disaster:

• Consider taking a boating safety course. Research shows that boaters who have more extensive training and who know their equipment better are much safer out on the water.
• File a float plan. Let someone know where you are going, who you will be with and when you are expecting to return. That way, if something does go wrong, they'll know if when you don't come back.
• Always boat sober. Not only is it illegal to operate a boat while intoxicated, but alcohol is the leading contributing factor in deadly boating accidents, involved in 23 percent of drowning deaths in 2019.
• Have a portable device with watertight protection. A waterproofed phone may be lifesaving if it lets you call for help. Boaters should also pack signal flares, a whistle and an emergency position-indicating radio beacon, or a personal locator beacon.