Sugarite Canyon State Park Reminder: Please Wear your Life-jackets!

Hope you all are having a great summer so far. Now that the temps are hot and the park is open to day use. We are seeing a bunch of visitors in the park using kayaks. I have attached a flyer and highlighted in red the requirements for life jacket use while using kayaks, stand up paddleboards (SUP), and rubber rafts. Life jackets must be worn at all times while using these watercraft. They must also have a sound-producing vice like a whistle. I have my whistle attached to my life vest. I’m amazed at how many people are still going out on the water without a life jacket on. I was stationed at Navajo Lake State Park near Farmington, NM for 8 years before coming to Sugarite. On several occasions, I had to assist with drowning recoveries. Most of these drownings could have been avoided​ if the persons would have just been wearing their life jackets. It doesn’t matter if you are a good swimmer or athlete. Please wear your life jacket. We want everyone to get home safe to their families. If anyone has questions, please call my office.

 

Specific PFD Requirements

• All vessels must carry at least one U.S. Coast Guard-approved Type I, II, III, or V life jacket for each person on board. If the USCG label requires it to be worn to be counted as having a PFD on board, then it must be worn.
• In addition to the requirement for life jackets, all vessels (except kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, or rubber rafts) must carry at least one USCG-approved Type IV (throwable) PFD.
• All life jackets and other PFDs must be in good and serviceable condition and readily accessible. The PFDs must be of the proper size for the intended wearer. Sizing for PFDs is based on body weight and chest size.
• Children 12 years old and younger must wear a Type I, II, or III USCG–approved PFD while underway, unless they are below the deck or in an enclosed cabin.
• Each person on board a kayak, canoe, or rubber raft must wear a USCG–approved Type I, II, III, or V PFD. Must have a whistle or other sound-producing device
• Each person on board a windsurf board, inner tube, air mattress, float tube, or other inflatable devices not listed above must wear a flotation assist device or USCG–approved Type I, II, III, or V PFD. Must have a whistle or other sound-producing device.

Offshore Life Jackets	Near-Shore Vests	Flotation Aids	Throwable Devices	Special-Use Devices
These vests are geared for rough or remote waters where rescue may take a while. They provide the most buoyancy, are excellent for flotation, and will turn most unconscious persons face up in the water.	These vests are good for calm waters when quick assistance or rescue is likely. A Type II may not turn some unconscious wearers face-up in the water	These vests or full-sleeved jackets are good for calm waters when quick assistance or rescue is likely. They are not recommended for rough waters since they will not turn most unconscious persons face up.	These cushions and ring buoys are designed to be thrown to someone in trouble. Since a Type IV is not designed to be worn, it is neither for rough waters nor for persons who are unable to hold onto it.	These vests, deck suits, hybrid PFDs, and others are designed for specific activities such as windsurfing, kayaking, or water-skiing. To be acceptable, Type V PFDs must be worn and used in accordance with their label.