National Life Jacket Day 2010 came to my attention on a flashing sign as I was driving down a street; up till that point I had never considered such a day existed. For the rest of my ride home I was half driving and half immersed in the story of a little girl who knows all to well the importance of wearing a life jacket. It is my hope that by sharing her story it will make even one person see the benefits of wearing a life jacket.

Both in Canada and the USA hundreds of people drown every year. In Canada reports have indicated “200 people drown every year while boating…90% were not wearing life jackets“, according to the Red Cross. This number doesn’t even include drownings that occur through other activities and there were other sources that indicated a higher estimate. The US Coast Guard reports “In 2007 alone there were 685 recreational boating accidents two-thirds of the victims drowned, 90% were not wearing a floatation device.” Power boating is a year round recreation for many people in North America and we are heading into the peak season between May and September. The incidents of drowning in or around water, where many children lose their lives every year, is difficult to imagine.  In fact, it is the second leading cause of death for children ages 1-14 years. (CDC 2006) Keeping all of this in mind I will begin the story.

Many years ago there was a little nine year old girl who idolized her father, everywhere he went she wanted to go. If he was working on his car she diligently observed, if he was building something she stood by to help where she could, if he mowed the lawn she raked along side him. Every picture that was taken shows her nestled close; he was her world.

One summer the family was going on their annual vacation. Her sister, mother and father were taking off to a resort a few hours from their home. After settling in to their room, they hit the beach that aligned the lake in front of them, it was a picturesque location with the mountain wrapping around its shores. Each day that followed echoed the fun.

After some time spent at the resort the little girls father met another man that was vacationing with his family too. They struck up conversation that resulted in the opportunity to go out on his boat. Her father thought that was a great idea, his wife didn’t want to go, one of the daughters didn’t want to go either, but the other little girl that followed her father everywhere jumped at the chance to spend time with her Dad. A new experience they would share together.

Loading into the boat, along with the man and his two young daughters, they all set out for a trip around the lake on that hot summer day. After awhile one of the girls decided she wanted to go for a swim. The father cut the engines, stopped the boat and the men proceeded to measure with a water ski the depth of the water. It appeared to be fine and the owner of the boat watched his two daughters jump in but the other little girl remained. She just wasn’t sure; her father assured her it would be OK and so in she went.

Things were going well, until the one daughter screamed, panic ensued. Now, both the man’s daughters were screaming and nobody knew why? The other little girl still treading water looked up to see her Dad jump in… then she didn’t see him. In all the commotion things sped up, it was a fight for survival. The boat had drifted too far, all the girls were now screaming for help and the man that owned the boat was trying to do what he could. The little girl could see the hotel and shore in the distance but her screams were not getting any attention. She was running out of energy as she was not a strong swimmer and had been treading water for some time now. Eventually, it was too much and she floated down.

She remembered the peace and calm she felt, she looked forward to see the hazy colour of the water in front of her eyes, as she went further under. Then, an arm grabbed her and she was brought back up to the surface! The man that owned the boat had retrieved his daughters and they were attached to a small square life jacket, somehow they had also picked up her father and so on a small square floater the little girl now clung and she took hold of her father who was spitting water like a fountain out of his mouth. He was barely up out of the water and it was all she could do to hold on to him.

Finally, a couple came to the rescue and each person was loaded in their boat. When it came to getting the little girl in the boat she refused. “No”…”Take may Dad!” “Take my Dad!” she shouted. They insisted they would get him, she was to get in first and then they would get him. They did not.

In the course of her letting go he simply disappeared. Nobody got him. Everything that transpired after that came in slow motion, her mother running down the dock toward her, her shouts of grief, the little girl thinking she was responsible because she let go, the police, the older sister and her boyfriend arriving to pick the family up and take them home without their father and husband. Four days later her father was found in what turned out to be 60 feet deep of water.

By not being prepared, by not wearing life jackets, multiple lives were irreversibly changed. Her father was a strong swimmer, a longshoreman, he lived and worked by the sea all his life, that made no difference. For those that don’t believe this can happen to you, you are dead wrong! Wear the life jackets and wear them properly, things can happen so fast and you have little time to prepare.

If my Dad and I had been wearing life jackets that day, he may still be alive …we miss him so much.

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