Photo By AnnMarie Harvie | Park Ranger Jonathan Dumais and Elisa Carey pass out water safety information at the...... read more read more
SANDWICH, Mass. - The New England District’s commitment to public safety is a priority throughout the year. Each of the four seasons hold particular types of safety hazards, and summer brings warm temperatures that beckon people to the water for relief and enjoyment, posing potential hazards if not careful.
Keeping this in mind, the New England District increases its stress on water safety as soon as temperatures are about to rise. At the Cape Cod Canal, District team members partnered with other federal, state and local agencies to host their 8th annual Water Safety Day.
This year the majority of the event was held at the Cape Cod Canal’s Visitor’s Center in Sandwich, Mass., on May 25. The event went from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and was free to all.
Despite the unusually cold, wind and rain, about 100 people attended the popular event. “We held our event in conjunction with National Safe Boating Week and the kick off of summer for most of the boaters in the Sandwich area,” said Park Ranger and event organizer Elisa Carey.
New England District Park Rangers opened the water safety trailer and had handouts and other water safety materials. Special guest Bobber the Water Safety Dog greeted visitors and made himself available for pictures with smaller visitors. Partners also had tables and displays filled with water safety information.
District Park Rangers also had educational water safety games available for those who wanted to play.
“To effectively get the water safety message out there to everyone, scavenger hunts were given out to the participants,” said Carey. “The questions required them to visit each table, activity and location, such as the Coast Guard Station and the Canal's Visitor’s Center. This way they actually read or interacted with rangers or volunteers to get the answers and a prize, such as flying discs, stickers or coloring books.”
According to Carey, finished scavenger hunt worksheets were entered to win water safety and water recreation gear to include life vests, Bobber cartoons, a fishing pole or a knot tying book.
The U.S. Coast Guard gave vessel and Coast Guard station tours. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary gave out complimentary vessel checks to any boat owner who wanted to participate. The Sandwich Marina encouraged participation by donating launch passes to boat owners who got the vessel checks. The marina also provided the New England District team with a boat slip for one of the Canal patrol boats to allow them to conduct dockside boat tours.
Other partners who worked with the District Team to make this event a success included the Cape Cod Chapter of the American Red Cross, the town of Sandwich Fire and Rescue Department as well as the Sea Scouts.
| Date Taken: | 05.25.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 07.11.2013 11:22 |
| Story ID: | 110057 |
| Location: | SANDWICH, MA, US |
| Web Views: | 78 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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