Use a life preserver when you’re out on the water | LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Published 11:41 am Friday, May 11, 2012

To the editor:

In Tuesday’s sports section of the Sun, on the front page, was a photo of Tiger Lake on opening day of fishing season, probably last year. I counted seven or eight boats, possibly 13 fishermen, three of whom were standing in their boats and one boat badly overloaded.

I saw ONE man wearing a life preserver, or PFD, as they are called.

There are three squadrons of the United States Sail and Power Squadron in Kitsap County which offer continuing classes on boater education. The constant drumming of information in these classes is “ON THE WATER — WEAR A PFD.”

It looks like we need to power up our education classes to fisherpeople.

As for standing up in boats, research has found that the majority of men who drowned from falling from their boats died with their fly open.

ELIZABETH MURRAY

Bainbridge Island