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11 Drownings and the Importance of LIFE Jackets

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24.08.2019

Lifejackets & Buoyancy Aids Save Lives

The 2019 Casualty Review Panel reviewed 22 fatalities from 2018 and agreed that 11 lives could have been saved if they had been wearing a lifejacket. The majority of incidents in 2018 involved commercial fishermen (including fish farms) and anglers - many on Sea Lochs.

In the 12 years that the panel has been meeting, it has recorded that 200 lives could have been saved by wearing a lifejacket or buoyancy aid.

Wearing a lifejacket or buoyancy aid is proven to greatly improve your chances of surviving the shock of entering cold water.

The panel also recommended additional measures to improve safety:

Making sure your equipment is properly fitted - including wearing a lifejacket with a crotch strap.

Carrying a VHF DSC radio - and knowing how to use it to contact the coastguard or other vessels.

Carrying a Personal Location Beacon (PLB) or Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB).

Downloading RYA SafeTrx app on mobile phone - and knowing how to use it in an emergency.

Wearing appropriate clothing and personal protective equipment.

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