(CORONADO, CA) – A free open house at the Crown Cove Aquatic Center will allow participants to get out on the water in sailboats, SUPs, Outrigger Canoes and kayaks, plus be eligible for a free life jacket as the Center kicks off National Safe Boating Week.
The Annual Open House, which will be held Sunday, May 22 from 11 am – 3 pm, helps promote National Safe Boating Week, the official launch of the 2016 North American Safe Boating Campaign. This yearlong campaign promotes the value of voluntary, consistent life jacket wear by recreational boaters through the national theme, Wear It!
In addition to promoting safe boating, the CCAC Open House showcases the Aquatic Center’s many activities and programs, and includes an Expo with informational booths, live entertainment and food for purchase. Free parking at the Silver Strand State Beach is available during the event.
“Each year we learn about tragic, yet avoidable, drowning by recreational boaters,” states Patrice Milkovich, CCAC Director. “Many people feel life jackets are unnecessary because they know how to swim, or the jackets are uncomfortable, or unfashionable. It’s essential all boaters remember to Wear It.”
U.S. Coast Guard statistics show that drowning was the reported cause of death in three-fourths of recreational boating fatalities in 2014, and that 84 percent of those who drowned were not wearing life jackets.
New life jackets are much more comfortable, lightweight and stylish than the bulky orange style most boaters know. There are innovative options, such as inflatable life jackets, allowing mobility and flexibility for activities like boating, fishing, paddling or hunting, and are much cooler in the warmer weather.
More information is available at safeboatingcampaign.com.
Crown Cove Aquatic Center is a campus of Southwestern Community College District, located on the bay side of Silver Strand State Beach. Marine Recreation and Community Safety (CPR, First Aid, AED, Lifeguard Training) education programs are available to the general public. For more information see www.swccd.edu/crowncove.
