SEATTLE — Hot temperatures are forecasted for much of Washington state Sunday and are expected to stick around through Thursday.
It's likely more people will use waterways to cool off by swimming, paddle boarding, or boating.
British Swim School in Seattle recently launched a campaign, "Stay Afloat When You Boat," to encourage water safety.
The swim school's aquatics director, Jose Chang, said one of the key things people should do when boating or using any watercraft - is wearing a fitted life jacket.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, there were 636 boating deaths in 2022 and 75 percent of deadly boating incident victims drowned. Of those drowning victims with reported life jacket usage, 85 percent were not wearing a life jacket. Only 11 percent of adults report wearing a life jacket while on a boat.
Chang said as the nationwide lifeguard shortage continues - families need to be extra cautious when at beach parks or other areas without lifeguards on duty.
In addition to making sure infants, children and adults are all wearing appropriate life jackets - Chang said it's important to designate a "water watcher." This person is not drinking, texting or socializing.
A water watcher will be in charge of watching specific people, adults and children, in the water or on a boat. Water watchers should always be assigned to children in all swimming and boating situations, according to Chang.
Safety tips:
- Never leave kids unsupervised near any body of water. This includes time spent on a boat or while children are playing in the sand near the ocean.
- Always designate a “water watcher” who is committed to keeping an eye on the kids. This person is not drinking, texting or socializing.
- Children and adults should always wear properly fitting life jackets when in a boat.
- Enter the water feet first. Do not dive in.