DNR News** Archived Article - please check for current information. **
Life Jacket Loaner Station Opening in Murrells Inlet June 14, 2017
Life jacket loaner programs save lives, and folks in the Murrells Inlet area are encouraged to come to a ribbon-cutting ceremony planned for a new one June 20, 10 a.m. at Georgetown County's Murrells Inlet Boat Landing. Officials from the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, Georgetown County, and members of the North Strand U.S. Power Squadron will be on-hand to help celebrate the official opening of a new loaner station ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, traditionally a very busy time on the water.
A new life jacket loaner board with bi-lingual signage instructing users in the proper use of life jackets will be placed at the Murrells Inlet Boat Landing.
Free boating-related prizes will be distributed to members of the public who attend the event, and organizers also have "something really cool" planned for young people who wear their life jackets to the ceremony to show support for the effort. Since getting started in the mid-nineteen-nineties, life jacket loaner boards have grown in popularity and their use is spreading across the country.
"The safety of the public while on the water is our number one priority," said SCDNR Lt. Kim Leverich, "and this new loaner station will provide people who need them with the greatest single tool to prevent accidental drowning - a working life jacket. We look forward to seeing you there!"
Research shows that most drownings could have been prevented if a life jacket had been worn by the victim. The life jacket loaner station will serve to increase the use of life jackets among the boating public, as well as educating people on the importance of proper use and fit of lifejackets. The signage for the Murrells Inlet station was also created with outreach to the area's growing Hispanic community in mind. Instructions on how to properly fit a life jacket will be displayed in both English and Spanish, and will help educate all users of the boat ramp of the legal requirements for life jackets. Power Squadron volunteers will keep the station stocked with life jackets of various sizes for children and adult that can be borrowed when in and around the water and then returned for someone else to use. The station will also include a monofilament fishing line recycling drop-off bin. Improperly discarded monofilament is harmful to wildlife and a nuisance to boaters. Recycling helps keep it out of our waters and landfills.
Contact for more information:
David Lucas
SCDNR Office of Media & Outreach
843-610-0096
| Area | Personnel | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Coastal, Midlands | David Lucas | 843-610-0096 |
| Marine | Erin Weeks | 843-953-9845 |
| Upstate, Midlands | Greg Lucas | 864-380-5201 |
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