Please join us to celebrate the expanding of the Life Jacket
Loaner Program #KidsDontFloatLifeJacketsDo in Marco Island! Thursday, February 2nd, at 4:00 p.m. Residents Beach, 130 S Collier Blvd, Marco Island, FL 34145
In June 2013 a two year old was found floating face down in the water at Sugden Regional Park. A mere five minutes had elapsed without adult supervision. Had this child been wearing a life jacket, it would not have been a life altering event.
The NCH Safe & Health Children’s Coalition reacted to this child’s death by organizing a life jacket loaner program entitled “Kids Don’t Float — Give Them Something That Does.” The goal of the program is to make life jackets available at popular beach/lake sites for children and adults to borrow and return. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 93, 95 and 96 check monthly the condition of the lifejackets.
If any lifejackets are missing or in disrepair, they will be replaced. Collier County has 12 “Kids Don’t Float, Life Jackets Do!” Life Jackets Loaner Stations around the county. The three new expansion sites, all located on Marco Island beaches, are: North Marriott, Crystal Shores and Residents Beach.
Special thanks to the following organization and people for helping us to make this program possible in Collier County:
Sprigg Yacht Consulting
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliaries 93,95 and 96
Collier County Parks & Recreation
Lee & Penny Anderson
Chip & Lynne, Henley & Nelly, Duke, Winston & Vera Shotwell
Mikel & Keely Miller
Scott & Sue Dufford
Kiwanis club of East Naples
Neal Horrell
Lowe’s
Jon Levy and the BIG team at BIG Renovations & Design, Inc (new wording)
Hamilton Harbor Yacht Club
AutoTran, Inc.
West Marine
Accent Signs
Marco Island Fire Rescue
“LIFE JACKETS ARE NOT BABY-SITTERS, THE BEST METHOD TO PREVENT DROWNING IS SUPERVISION.”