Northwest Iowa — A safety expert says as Iowa boaters plan to make their first voyage on the water this season, they should check the boat’s life jackets.
That’s Susan Stocker, the boating law administrator and education coordinator in the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The major concern is to ensure the life jacket fits the person wearing it.
There are more than 230-thousand registered boats in Iowa. Stocker says all boaters should use the buddy system — and give a “float plan” to someone who is NOT out on the water.
Flood conditions in some areas of the state may make boating impossible. Stocker says boaters must realize in high water, submerged trees and other objects can wreck the boat.
It happened within the last few days in southeast Iowa. Stocker says the paddler tipped over and “almost died from hypothermia.”
