Ameren Missouri has joined the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) to promote the importance of wearing life jackets while boating on the Lake of the Ozarks.
Ameren Missouri is providing the troopers with T-shirts bearing the message, “I got caught wearing my life jacket.” Troopers will hand out the T-shirts as a reward to children “caught” wearing their life jackets during the boating season.
“Safety is our primary concern, and teaming with the Missouri State Highway Patrol provides a tremendous opportunity to emphasize the importance of wearing life jackets on Missouri’s lakes and waterways,” said Jeff Green, supervisor of shoreline management at Ameren Missouri.
Ameren Missouri and the MSHP’s Water Patrol Division have conducted similar life jacket safety promotions since 2005.
“This partnership is a good way to recognize those boaters who are being safety conscious,” said Capt. Gregory Kindle, commanding officer of Troop F. “The majority of our stops on the Lake are due to violations our troopers have observed, so it’s always nice to note the positive things we see boaters doing.”
According to statistics from the U.S. Coast Guard, approximately 85 percent of boaters who drown weren’t wearing a life jacket, even though in many cases life jackets were available and aboard the boat.
“In Missouri, life jackets are required for children under seven, but are certainly recommended for children seven and older,” Kindle said. “Children on docks are not required to wear life jackets, but the same dangers certainly apply. The most tragic situations our troopers see on this Lake involve small children who drown. Our hope is to do all we can to prevent such tragedies.”
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Ameren Missouri has been providing electric and gas service for more than 100 years, and the company's electric rates are among the lowest in the nation. Ameren Missouri's mission is to power the quality of life for its 1.2 million electric and 127,000 natural gas customers in central and eastern Missouri. The company's service area covers 64 counties and more than 500 communities including the greater St. Louis area. For more information please visit AmerenMissouri.com or follow Ameren Missouri on Facebook or Twitter.