Water safety on the lake
U. S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
Spring is here, so it’ s a great time to get out and check all your boating safety gear. After your boat has been sitting in storage all winter— and before you take it out every time— you should always inspect your boat to make sure everything is in good working order, and confirm you have all of your safety equipment.
The first and most important safety equipment item you should have is a wearable, U. S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket, or personal floatation device for every person on board your vessel. Even kayakers and paddle boarders need a life jacket. Children who are under the age of 13 must wear their life jacket while on a boat that is under way. While not required, we encourage everyone to wear a life jacket when boating because you never know when an incident may occur. Some of the other safety equipment that you may need on your boat includes: A throwable life jacket( type IV); a bell, horn or whistle; proper navigation lights if operating between the hours of sunset and sunrise and; a fire extinguisher. For full navigation safety regulations please visit the“ Boating” page located at www. iowadnr. gov.
Another place that we ask lakegoers to consider the use of a life jacket is at the beach. While all of our designated USACE swim beaches are buoyed at a maximum depth of five feet, a life jacket may be a great choice for a younger swimmer or persons with less swimming ability. Please remember that our beaches are not manned by lifeguards,
and all users should help us keep these areas safe.
Here at Rathbun Lake in 2024, we had two water safety events. One was held at Bridgeview Park and the message was to have fun wearing a life jacket. We wanted to show the public that wearing a life jacket does not mean you will not have fun. When we wear our life jacket— regardless of age –- we can have more fun because we do not have to be constantly concerned about the swimming abilities of our friends and family. The second event was held at Island View Park. The message was similar, but with the added thought that just because it was the end of the summer it did not mean we need to forget about Water Safety. Water Safety is important all year!
Another program that we participated in for the summer of 2024 was the“ I Got Caught!” This was a reward program for adult boaters who were“ caught” using their life jacket on the water. When they were“ caught,” adults wearing their life jackets were given a cooler.
Our hope with all these programs is to help prevent injuries and loss of life at our great lake. We never want a weekend of fun to turn into a tragedy, so if you are planning a trip out to our wonderful lake, please practice water safety and wear your life jacket. We cannot wait to see you here!
6 Rathbun Lake 2025