FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

03-20-09 745AM

Summer will soon be here, and many families will go boating for the first time. To make sure everyone is ready, the nonprofit BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water offers three free online resources at www.BoatUS.com/foundation/LJLP/fit_video to make sure the kids are safe.

How to properly fit a kid’s life jacket: Making a child wear an adult or incorrectly sized life jacket could be as dangerous as no life jacket at all, giving parents a false sense of security. A short online video explains how to fit a right-sized life jacket to your child.

How to borrow a kid’s life jacket if you don’t have one: Boaters don’t always have every kid-sized life jacket aboard. However, at the BoatU.S. Foundation’s more than 500 locations across the country – local marinas, fire departments and other waterfront businesses – parents can borrow a kid’s life jacket (in various sizes) for the day or weekend, absolutely free. The Web site allows parents to search for a Kid’s Life Jacket Loaner location near them. The program loaned out more than 90,000 life jackets last year, and three lives have been saved to date.

Know your state’s life jacket laws: Confused about who needs a life jacket? The Web site provides a state-by-state listing of life jacket regulations.

For more information on boating water safety and the BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water, go to www.BoatUS.com/foundation.

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