AmerenUE is joining the Missouri State Water Patrol in promoting the importance of wearing life jackets while boating on the Lake of the Ozarks. The main focus of the project is on children, but the program is also intended to help educate boaters of all ages about the importance of wearing life jackets.
UE has provided the Water Patrol with T-shirts bearing the message, “I got caught wearing my life jacket.” Water Patrol officers will hand out the T-shirts as a reward to children “caught” wearing their life jackets throughout the summer boating season.
“This program is a good way to recognize those boaters who are being safety conscious,” says Water Patrol Captain Matt Walz. “The majority of our stops on the lake are due to violations our officers 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, as many as 85 percent of boaters who drown are not wearing a life jacket, even though in many cases life jackets were aboard but were not being used.
“In Missouri, life jackets are required for children under 7, but are certainly recommended for children 7 and over. Children on docks are not required to wear life jackets, but the same dangers certainly apply. The most tragic situations I’ve seen on this lake involved small children who drowned. It’s something I hope to never see again.” Walz adds.
AmerenUE, founded in 1902, provides electric and gas service to approximately 1.2 million customers across central and eastern Missouri, including the greater St. Louis area. UE serves 57 Missouri counties and 500 towns. The company's electric rates are among the lowest in the nation. For more information, visit: www.amerenue.com.
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Contacts: Mike Cleary, 573-681-7137