BEACH LAKE, PA – The National Park Service reminds everyone who may be out on the Upper Delaware River this fall or winter in a boat, canoe, or kayak that each person, regardless of age is required to wear a Coast Guard approved personal flotation device (life jacket or PFD) during these cold weather months.
The Upper Delaware flows between New York and Pennsylvania on the western side of Orange County.
This regulation is effective immediately through April 30, 2023.
This mandatory cold weather life jacket wear regulation was established in 2012 by Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission and can do a great deal to be effective in saving someone’s life during these cold-water
boating months, NPS officials said. Cold water shock is a major factor in boating fatalities when water temperatures are less than 70 degrees.
They said it happens quickly when someone is suddenly immersed in cold water. The water does not have to be freezing; cold water shock often occurs in water temperatures above 50 degrees. Wearing a life jacket in these conditions greatly increases the chance of survival and will save lives.
The Park Service said those wearing a life jacket when exposed to cold water have potentially life-saving advantages such as insulation from the cold, buoyancy, and reduced risk of aspiration of water. Without wearing a life
jacket, your chances of survival in a cold-water immersion are greatly decreased.
“Life jackets save lives. Wearing a properly fitted and fastened life jacket is essential, especially when the water temperatures drop. Cold-water shock happens quickly and can impair your ability to self-rescue. Wearing a life jacket gives precious time to get safely to shore”, said Acting Superintendent, Kara Deutsch.
Since 1980, there have been 77 drownings on the Upper Delaware River; however, no one has ever drowned wearing a properly fitted life jacket.
