HOT SPRINGS — According to the recently released 2024 Year-End Boating Accident Report compiled by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, life jacket wear continues to be one of the largest shortfalls among Arkansas boaters when it comes to enjoying the water safely.
Only 20 percent of the 207 individuals involved in boating accidents last year were wearing a life jacket at the time of the accident, and only one of the nine victims involved in boating fatalities recorded last year were wearing a life jacket.
Sydney Grant, AGFC Boating Law Administrator, says that drownings account for the majority of fatalities every year on Arkansas waters, and in many cases, life jackets were available, but not worn…