Laura S. Diaz
·5 min read
With summer rolling in – and temperatures rising – it’s more than expected for Californians to seek relief from the heat and spend a day by the rivers and lakes the state has to offer.
Unfortunately, it’s also the season where communities across the Central Valley see an increase in deaths by drowning. This past weekend, a man in his 20s drowned in the San Joaquin River near Kerman, a 16-year-old drowned in Shaver Lake while boating with friends, and a 6-year-old girl was in critical condition after nearly drowning in a pool.
Specifically, when it comes to spending time in the water on paddle boards, kayaks and boats, there are state safety rules and laws to follow in an effort to increase water safety and prevent fatal events.
Under California law, children 13 years old or younger must wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket on a moving recreational vessel of any length. According to the state’s Department of Parks and Recreation, the only three exceptions are when a child is:
on a sailboat and are constrained by a harness tethered to the sailboat
in an enclosed cabin
on a vessel engaged in an emergency rescue situation
Recreational vessels can be motorized, including boats and jet skis, or non-motorized, like paddle boards, sailboats, kayaks and canoes.
Life jacket requirement laws apply to adults, too. For anyone 13 years of age and older, when engaging in recreational activities with vessels 16 feet in length or shorter, there must be one wearable U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket per person on board.
For example, if two adult people are on a paddle board or kayak, they’re not required to wear life jackets but must have two available on the non-motorized vessel.
Also, not all personal flotation devices sold at sporting and outdoor gear stores are compliant with the Coast Guard’s requirements and state law.
“There are many different styles of life jackets, but not all styles are approved for all boating activities,” said an email from the California State Parks’ Division of Boating and Waterways. “The inside label [of a flotation device or life jacket] will provide the US Coast Guard approval number and the intended boating activity.”
Some inflatable styles of life jackets could be used for specific activities – not all – and strictly cannot be used for other activities, like when being towed behind a vessel.
The California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways supplies life jackets for Californians to borrow at 120 stations in 30 out of California’s 58 counties.
However, at the time of writing this article when The Bee called locations listed on the state’s website, those in Stanislaus, Kings and Kern counties were either no longer participating in the program or had changed names or addresses. Both, the locations and state, have been notified of the outdated information listed.
Families or individuals can check out lifejackets for a day or weekend. In the Central Valley, those interested in getting an approved and compliant life jacket can contact these stations:
Fresno County
Friant Station: Millerton Lake SRA, 5290 Millerton Road in Friant, 559-822-2332
Sanger Station: Pine Flat Lake, 27295 Pine Flat Road, 559-787-2589
Madera County
Eastman Lake Station: in the park, 23 miles northeast of Chowchilla, 559-689-3255 (three locations: Upper Boating Ramp near Chowchilla Day Use Recreational Area, Upper Boating Ramp in Cordones and Main Cordones Campground)
Raymond Station: Hensley Lake, 25207 Road 407, 559-673-5151 (three locations: Main Office at the address, Buck Ridge Day Use Area and Hidden View Campground)
Merced County
Gustine Station: San Luis Reservoir, O’Neill Forebay Kiosk at San Luis Creek Day Use Area (South Beach), 31426 Gonzaga Road, 209-826-4714
San Joaquin County
Manteca Station: City of Manteca Fire Department Station 2, 1154 S. Union Road, 209-456-8310
Stockton Station A: Stockton Fire Department Station 10, 2903 West March Lane, 209-937-8030
Stockton Station B: Stockton Fire Department Station 14, 3019 McNabb St., 209-937-8034
Stanislaus County
Modesto Station A: Modesto Fire Dept. Station 1, 610 11th St., 209-572-9597
Modesto Station B: Modesto Fire Dept. Station 2, 420 Chicago Ave., 209-491-4388
Modesto Station C: Modesto Fire Dept. Station 5, 200 W Briggsmore Ave., 209-572-9555
Modesto Station D: Modesto Fire Dept. Station 10, 148 Imperial Ave., 209-572-9650
Modesto Station E: Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Dept. Station 22, 4845 Yosemite Blvd., 209-549-8402
Modesto Station F: Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Dept. Station 23, 7737 Yosemite Blvd., 209-549-8403
Ceres Station: Ceres Fire Dept. Station 15, 2755 Third St., 209-577-6450
Oakdale Station A: Oakdale Fire Dept. Station 27, 450 S Willowood Drive, 209-577-6260
Oakdale Station B: Oakdale Fire Dept. Station 28, 325 E G St., 209-577-6263
Knights Ferry Station: Modesto Fire Dept. Station 29, 17700 Main St., 209-577-6266
Riverbank Station: Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Department Station 26, 3318 Topeka St., 209-549-8406
Turlock Station: Turlock Fire Dept. Station 31, 540 E Marshall St., 209-668-5580
Waterford Station A: Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Department Station 24, 129 E St., 209-874-2123
Waterford Station B: Modesto Reservoir Regional Park, 18142 Reservoir Road. 209-525-6750 (these life jackets are provided by the Sea Tow Foundation, not the state, to Stanislaus County)
Woodward Station: Woodward Reservoir, 14528 26 Mile Road, 209-847-3304
For a full list of counties and their stations, to request more life jackets for an already existing station or to request to open a new life jacket loaner station, those interested can visit https://bit.ly/3yVDcLZ.
