A lifejacket will blow dad's socks off

26 August 2016

If your dad is a yachtie, a kayaker, a power boater, jet-skier, salty sea dog or captain of a trusty old tinny; why not get him a lifejacket or a personal locator beacon (PLB) this Father's Day?

Director Maritime Safety, Peter Corcoran said don't let your dad's love of the water make him a statistic.

"Of the nine fatalities in the past 12 months, they have all been men over the age of 43.

"Wearing a lifejacket and being able to raise the alarm in an emergency increase your chances of survival when things don't go to plan.

"Evidence shows that some men don't wear lifejackets because they believe boating accidents won't happen to them and they consider themselves to be  experienced.

"However there is always the chance you can suddenly and unexpectedly end up in the drink, and once you are in it  – you only have a matter of minutes to ensure survival and to raise the alarm.

"A lifejacket buys you time, but you do need to be able to raise the alarm to get help.

"Good lifejackets are retailing between $50-$100. PLBs are around the $300 mark. Father's Day is a great way to invest in dad's safety. Lifejackets and PLBs are more costly than traditional gifts such as socks and jocks, but who can put a price on dad's safety?

"As part of our Father's Day boating safety promotion we're encouraging people to enter our Facebook competition to be in the running to win dad a PLB  valued at $300," Mr Corcoran said.

Head to www.facebook.com/BoatSafeRideSafe.