Life jacket loaner stations open on Friday, May 23, at Martha Lake County Park and Lake Ballinger Waterfront Park.

These self-serve stations are stocked with life jackets for children and adults to use for free during park visits. “The aim is to increase life jacket use, raise awareness about water safety and prevent drowning,” said Shawneri Guzman, South County Fire outreach manager and Safe Kids Snohomish County coordinator.

Snohomish County Safe Kids, in partnership with Snohomish County Parks and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, host several life jacket loaner cabinets across the county. You can find a location here.

The life jacket stations will be open through Labor Day. Use is based on the honor system and availability is not guaranteed. The best option is to bring your own properly fitted jacket.

With or without life jackets, children require distraction-free adult supervision around water, Guzman said. “We don’t want life jackets to provide a false sense of security. Parents still need to keep a close eye on their kids.”

Drowning can happen in a matter of seconds and typically occurs when a child is left unsupervised. Despite what you see in the movies, real-life drowning is silent and can happen quickly.

Remember this advice in and around the water:
– Always provide close and constant adult supervision of children.

– Avoid distractions like cell phones.

– Stay within reach of young children and inexperienced swimmers.

– Watch children and teens swimming or playing near water, even if they know how to swim.

– Use extra caution this time of year as water temperatures are very cold even when air temperatures are warm.

– In an emergency, call 911 immediately.

Led by South County Fire, Safe Kids Snohomish County is a local coalition of Safe Kids Worldwide. the group’s mission is to eliminate preventable injuries in children ages 0-19 through education and distribution of safety devices. Learn more at www.southsnofire.org/SafeKids.