Safety first with summer activity

It may seem hard to believe as we bask in the late-June glow of nearly 20 hours of sunlight each day, but our days are now getting shorter. It is a bit of a cruel irony that just when summer arrives on the calendar, our time to enjoy it begins to wane.

As always, this is a good reminder of the importance of getting out and making the most of our beautiful, but all too brief, Mat-Su summers.

Our waterways in particular are a big attraction. With creeks, rivers and lakes filled with salmon, trout and other species, locals and visitors alike line the banks and ply the waters, hoping for a lunker.

But recent news also provides a more sober reminder of the importance of putting safety first while playing hard. Early Friday afternoon, two adult brothers visiting from Tennessee drowned in Lake Louise, on the outskirts of the Mat-Su Borough near Glennallen. Although there were personal flotation devices on board the rented boat, neither man was wearing one when he went in the water.

Accidents can happen quickly on the water, often too quickly for a stowed life jacket to be reached. Evidence of the benefit of wearing a life jacket is overwhelming. According to U.S. Coast Guard estimates, more than 80 percent of boating fatalities could have been avoided if the victims had been wearing a life jacket.

The state’s award-winning Kids Don’t Float program recognizes that too many of these avoidable deaths each year are children. Zipping children into a properly fitting personal flotation device prior to a day on the water is the most simple, effective thing parents can do to keep their kids safe. Modeling good behavior by wearing one of their own doesn’t hurt the cause, either.

Being safe goes beyond personal flotation devices and recreation on the water. In a state as rugged and remote as Alaska, there are likely more ways to get into life-threatening trouble than elsewhere.

So whether you’re out to fill your freezer with the bounty from local rivers, are escaping to the backcountry on foot or bike or are simply enjoying a campfire with friends, always think about what could go wrong and be ready for it.

Never take a trip without letting someone know where you’re going and when you expect to be back. Carry emergency provisions and basic first aid gear. Wear activity-appropriate safety gear, like helmets while biking.

Summer is short. Get out and enjoy it. Play hard. Be safe.