Proposed Emergency Ordinance Would Require Life Vests for All Ages

A heightened risk to public safety has prompted King County Executive Dow Constantine to call for a summer-long requirement for the wearing of life vests this summer by anyone swimming, floating, or boating on major rivers running through unincorporated King County.

The proposed emergency ordinance is scheduled for introduction on Council agenda Monday, June 6. If approved by the Council, the ordinance would be effective through this year’s summer recreation season, from the date of Council adoption until October 31, 2011.

State law already requires that children 12 and under wear a Coast Guard approved life vest on vessels less than 19 feet long. The proposed ordinance extends this requirement to everyone recreating on the waterways, including swimmers and adults, and regardless of the size of the watercraft.

The proposed ordinance calls for King County to notify residents of the new requirement by posting signs at primary access points to major rivers, and to promote life vest use in partnership with regional organizations focused on drowning prevention, such as Seattle Children’s Hospital and the Statewide Drowning Prevention Network.

The King County Sheriff would enforce the wearing of a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal floatation device, or PFD, in the unincorporated portions of the Snoqualmie, Tolt, Cedar, Green, White, Raging and Skykomish Rivers that run outside of cities. First infractions for failure to wear a PFD would carry a warning, while subsequent infractions could result in a fine of up to $86.

This summer, officials will evaluate the program, along with feedback from emergency first responders and the public, to determine whether changes are appropriate and whether to propose that the requirement should become permanent.

The proposal has the backing of the River Safety Council, the American Red Cross of King and Kitsap Counties; the Tulalip Tribes; the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission; Sector Puget Sound of the U.S. Coast Guard; the national non-profit American Whitewater organization of whitewater enthusiasts, river conservationists, and paddling clubs; and Mountain View Fire and Rescue in Auburn, whose Swift Water Rescue Team responds to incidents along the middle Green River.

Several serious flooding events last winter reshaped river channels in King County, creating many new known and unknown hazards where banks have been undercut or large pieces of wood and sediment has shifted. The Sheriff’s Office last month closed a one-mile section of the Cedar River due to a hazardous logjam that spanned the width of the river.  

Meanwhile, the snowpack in some Cascade Range river basins is currently 200 percent of normal, which could lead to higher-than-normal and colder river flows well into the summer recreational season.

A King County study conducted last year revealed 61 percent of children under 12 and 98 percent of teenagers under 18 were observed not wearing PFDs when floating on the Cedar River. On average, 23 people perish in drowning accidents every year in King County, with nearly two-thirds occurring on open water, including rivers, lakes and Puget Sound, according to data gathered by Public Heath – Seattle & King County.

“This proposal will help save lives,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “River flows are unusually swift and cold this year due to a heavy mountain snowpack that is melting into King County rivers. Rivers are inherently dangerous places to play, but this year is bringing additional risks. The wearing of life jackets is as essential for swimmers and boaters as helmets for cyclists and seat belts for drivers.”

To see a King County video on summer rafting safety on the Snoqualmie River, visit: http://winmedia.kingcounty.gov/dnr/dnrp/SnoRiver.wmv

For more information on water safety and drowning prevention, including a list of local lifeguarded pools and beaches, visit Public Health - Seattle & King County at www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/injury/water.aspx