Life Jacket Loaner Program Key Component of Drowning Prevention Program, Saves Lives

Recognizing that accidental injuries and other health and safety issues require a coordinated approach, 50 child-serving non-profit, government service and business providers joined efforts in 2010 to create The NCH Safe and Healthy Children’s Coalition of Collier County (the Coalition). According to the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, drowning is the leading cause of death of children ages one to four. In response to this critical concern, the Coalition has developed strong drowning prevention initiatives.

One of these initiatives is the Lifejacket Loaner Program with 15 “Kids Don’t Float, Life Jackets Do!” Life Jackets Loaner Stations in Collier County at county beaches in Naples and Marco Island plus Delnor Wiggins State Park.

Life Jackets Loaner Station Interactive Google Map:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zm88lpF9DW1k.kYx5lcIJPYs8

History
In June 2013 a two-year-old was found floating face down in the water at Sugden Regional Park. A mere five minutes had elapsed without adult supervision. Had this child been wearing a life jacket, it would not have been a life altering event. The Coalition reacted to this child’s death by organizing a life jacket loaner program entitled “Kids Don’t Float— Give Them Something That Does” modeled after an initiative adopted in Alaska in 1997. The goal of the program is to save children’s lives by making loaner life jackets available at popular beach/lake sites for children and adults to borrow and return.

Life jackets, funded and supplied through the NCH Coalition Partners, are checked weekly by U S Coast Guard Auxiliarists from Flotilla 93, Naples, Flotilla 95, Marco Island, and Flotilla 96, Wiggins Pass, to ensure proper working condition and replace life jackets, when necessary.

Life jackets are available on each stand in infant, child, youth, and adult sizes. Each features logos from the Coalition as well as the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation and the Naples Children & Education Foundation who provide program funding, in addition to the “Kids Don’t Float, Life Jackets Do!” program logo. Information about proper sizing is available to the borrower by clicking a Quick Response (QR) code.

Since the program’s inception, Scouts have built life jacket loaner stands as their Eagle Scout Project and recently, Collier County Parks and Recreation personnel have built replacement stands for those lost in Hurricanes Helene and Milton as well as additional stands that enable expansion of the program to new area beach locations.

For more information on the Lifejacket Loaner Program, visit the NCH Safe & Healthy Coalition’s website at https://watersmartcollier.com/lifejacket-loaner-program

To learn more about the U S Coast Guard Auxiliary, visit https://www.cgaux.org/ and U S Coast Guard, District 7, Division 9 Southwest Florida, visit https://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=070-09

Life Jacket Facts:
USCG tested and approved life jackets should be worn by everyone, when in or around open/natural bodies of water, and when boating.

Double check that your life jacket is appropriate for the water activities that you and your loved ones will be participating in. Read the label!

Take the time to ensure a proper fit: right size and right weight rating.

Check your life jacket – make sure it is in good serviceable condition, with no tears or holes.

When other layers of protection may break down, life jackets can help prevent injury or death by drowning.