SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3)—As the weather gets warmer, it is time to check the durability of your lifejackets.
Check that all hardware and straps are in good shape and firmly attached. Make sure that the fabric is free of rips. Be sure to read the label of your life jacket before using it. Not all life jackets are approved for water skiing or tubing. CoxHealth representatives say having a life jacket could save your life.
“It does not take very long in the water to get absolutely exhausted,” said Lucas Spain, a CoxHealth injury prevention specialist. “So the life jacket in that time is going to be the difference between life and death. It is the thing that will save your life. So a lot of times, people justify, saying, ‘Maybe I won’t need it; I’m a pretty good swimmer. ‘ And that may be true, but if you’re dehydrated, if you’re tired, if you’re swimming further than you thought you were going to swim, when you start running out of energy, that is the only thing between you and that water line.”…