CPW's Message To Paddleboarders: Please Wear Your Personal Flotation Devices
(CBS4) - Paddleboarding is becoming very popular, and officials with Colorado Parks and Wildlife want to remind paddlers to wear personal flotation devices for safety. Over the last several years, more and more people not wearing lifejackets or other flotation devices have fallen off their boards and ended up drowning at state parks in Colorado.
CPW encourages everyone who heads out on the water to make sure their personal flotation device fits properly.
"Anything can happen at any time on the water. So we urge people to be cautious and consider their own safety and their loved one's safety while they're enjoying the water," said Kirstin Copeland, the manager of Ridgway State Park, in a prepared statement shared by CPW.
In addition to the hypothermia threat that comes with very cold water temperatures, the following concerns come with paddleboarding, according to CPW:
-
"
On rivers or reservoirs, if a paddleboarder falls off there is no guarantee that the board will remain within reach."
- "In rivers, the board can be pulled away by the current."
- "In lakes, a board can be pushed away quickly by the wind.
The danger is amplified on reservoirs and ponds in the afternoons in Colorado when winds pick-up or fast-moving storms stir up waves."
