Coast Guard safety recommendations on open water

UPPER PENINSULA –The Upper Peninsula has seen many individuals swept from shore in flotation devices, and then needed rescuing.

One recent occurrence was of a young girl who had floated over a quarter mile off shore, but was thankfully rescued by a ferry boat. The United States Coast Guard would like everyone to know the safety precautions before going out on a body of water. One of these precautions is to stay calm and composed.

If you become too nervous, that could lead to making mistakes that could be costly, or even fatal. Another precaution is a “Float Plan” that involves letting people know where you are going.

“Something we do like to talk about is these things called float plans,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Terry Bailey, U.S. Coast Guard. “We do that here in the Coast Guard whenever our boats move, and somebody knows where we are going 24/7. It is the same thing as going out on the water for recreational purposes. So if you do know you are going to be out on a body of water by yourself; we highly recommend you tell somebody and or leave a message with somebody.”

With that information, rescue will be able to have a better chance at locating someone who went missing when out on the water.

It’salways important to have someone with you when going out to a body of water,along with always having some type of flotation device with you.