It\u2019s a small step, but for hundreds of boaters annually, simply wearing a life jacket has made the difference between a day on the lake and a tragic accident.<\/p>\n
Just how effective life jackets are at their job can\u2019t be understated, according to officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.<\/p>\n
![\"Jeff](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/REG-L-BoatingSafety479.jpg\")
Jeff Piscanio, operations manager at Blue Marsh Lake, discusses boating safety along with members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission during a safety event at Blue Marsh Lake on Friday, May 15, 2026. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)<\/p>\n
\u201cIn (boating) fatalities that have happened, in 75% or more of cases, people weren\u2019t wearing life jackets,\u201d said Walter Conway, district captain with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.<\/p>\n
Officials stressed that message and more during a boating safety press conference at Blue Marsh Lake\u2019s boat ramp in Bern Township last week ahead of Memorial Day and the start of the summer outdoor season.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the most common issues we see is not having the required type of life jacket,\u201d said Sgt. Travis Miller, assistant regional supervisor for the state Fish and Boat Commission. \u201cFor jet skis what we often see is people wearing the orange (collar style) life jacket. They\u2019re not aware that you need to be wearing a life jacket that goes around your whole body.\u201d<\/p>\n
He noted that all permitted life jackets have a U.S. Coast Guard approved logo.<\/p>\n
Wearing a life jacket is required by state law on all boats or personal watercraft less than 16 feet, and all boats must have one life jacket per person on board.<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably our biggest excuse (for not wearing a life jacket) is, \u2018I can swim. I don\u2019t need one. I can get back on my boat,\u2019\u201d Miller said.<\/p>\n
Miller pointed out that person won\u2019t be able to do that if they\u2019re knocked unconscious or otherwise injured.<\/p>\n
People often rationalize not wearing life jackets by simply having them on their boat, but even that might not be enough, Conway said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTake a life jacket and try to put it on in the water,\u201d Conway said. \u201cGood luck. It\u2019s challenging (for me) and I can swim like a fish.\u201d<\/p>\n
No alcohol<\/p>\n
Another safety measure people can take is not drinking and boating, officials said.<\/p>\n
They said alcohol is not allowed on the lake.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are out here patrolling Blue Marsh looking for people who are intoxicated on the water,\u201d Miller said. \u201cYou will get a BUI (boating under the influence) if we catch you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other commonly overlooked boating rules include fire extinguishers for boats with enclosed gas containers, personal floatation devices for boats over 16 feet, and a horn or other sound-producing device for emergency signaling<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of times people don\u2019t realize or think they don\u2019t need it, but it is required equipment,\u201d Jeff Piscanio, operations manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said of the sound device.<\/p>\n