July 21-27 declared Paddle Safe Week
Outdoorsmen and women are asked to pay special attention when on watercraft that are smaller and take safety precautions when around or operating such craft.
COURTESY PHOTO/SPENCER GURLEY FILMS
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Parks Boating Program announced Tuesday in a news release that Washington State Governor Jay Inslee issued a proclamation declaring July 21 to 27 to be statewide Paddle Safe Week.
“Paddle Safe Week is a great opportunity to help reduce paddle sports-related fatalities by sharing resources and educating the community on how to recreate safely,” said Boating Program Manager Rob Sendak. “Paddlers should know that kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards are subject to boating laws and regulations.”
According to the news release, Paddle Safe Week will lead a statewide effort to create a culture of safety around paddle sports. The release noted that in the last five years, paddlers have come to represent 55% of the statewide recreational boating fatalities. The announcement attributes this statistic to growing popularity of paddle sports and a general lack of safety education.
The release specifies that the most important way to paddle safely is to always wear a life jacket on the water. State law requires all vessels, including canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards to have at least one properly fitted Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each person on board.
For more information on paddle sport safety, visit https://bit.ly/PaddleSportsSafety.