With last weekend’s incidents in mind, it has once again become clear how indispensable the Royal Dutch Rescue Society (KNRM) is. They advocate the use of life jackets on the water. “This vest makes swimming and floating easier,” says KNRM Enkhuizen spokesperson Bregje Willems. “Also, the color of the life jacket makes you more visible.”
Wearing a life jacket is not mandatory in recreational boating. “The victim who drowned last Saturday was not wearing a life jacket. Presumably he went overboard due to a blow from the boom. Most likely not conscious. A life jacket can then keep you above the water,” says Willems. “We’re not saying he would have survived, because you don’t know how hard the boom hit. But at least we could have found him.”
Watch the entire interview with the KNRM below. Article continues under video.
Only 25% of water sports enthusiasts regularly wear a life jacket. Some of them underestimate the danger of the water. “For example, last Sunday evening we took a boat off the water that is suitable for inland waterways, but absolutely not for the IJsselmeer,” says Willems. “The occupants were also not wearing a life jacket. We got them out of the water in time, but that could have turned out very differently. They clearly underestimated the IJsselmeer.”
Well buckled
When wearing a life jacket, it is important that all clips and buckles are properly attached to your body, explains Bregje Willems. “You wear it over all your clothes, not under a jacket. And the strap at the back should be tied between your legs at the front. So that when you jump off the boat, the vest doesn’t slip over your head.”