In this summer of COVID-19, when boat travel is cut off by closed borders and limits on cruising the San Juan and Canadian Gulf islands, boat activity in local waters has spiked. And with pools closed, there are more people swimming in the lakes.

“It’s been a lot more stress on the lakes,” said Sgt. Kevin Haistings, a 36-year member of the Seattle Police Dept., 24 of them spent with the Harbor Patrol. “You could walk across the lake, boat-to-boat some days, with paddle boats floating all around."

So far this year, the Seattle Fire Dept. has responded to 56 water rescues, involving both boats and swimmers. And in King County, there have been 15 drownings since mid-May, seven or eight in August alone, according to Tony Gomez, manager for Violence & Injury Prevention for Seattle – King County Public Health. Gomez said that “makes this August the deadliest in at least the most recent seven years, and we have a ways to go.”

The recent losses bring home what the Seattle Police Dept. and the Harbor Patrol have been stressing for years:

If you’re on a boat, wear a life vest. If you swim off the boat, stay close. Boat owners should keep onboard a “throw bag” with 100 feet of line attached.

Maier believes that the best thing people can do when they witness someone going under is not to move from the spot where you last saw the person. Try to line something up with your point of view — a landmark like a bridge or a house across the water.

Over the past five years, 100% of people who drowned in the Columbia River and Wenatchee River were not wearing a life vest, according to Chelan County Rescue Services where I live.

Growing up on a lake in Michigan, everyone had to wear a life vest in our boats. My parents provided life vests for guests, children and adults.

All of our boats had lines attached to a rescue throw ring and a bailer. My parents added oarlocks and oars to the three sailboats for emergencies. They were smart and safe.

[seattletimes.com]