PEPTALK: Life jackets keep families safe By Colin Weerts, DO, Mankato Clinic Family Medicine Fishing opener is coming up quickly in Minnesota. Fishing brings great memories for children, parents and grandparents alike. There’s nothing cuter than seeing your kiddo reel in a fish, no matter how big or small your child or the fish! Our children are keepers! To ensure your child’s safety on the water, make sure your child is wearing a life jacket at all times when on boats, docks and bodies of water. In Minnesota, all children under age 10 are required to wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket at all times while in a boat. For older children and adults, Minnesota law requires an approved, properly sized, and easily accessible life jacket for each person on the boat. Even though it’s not the law, the Minnesota Department of Resources recommends that everyone wear a life 18 • Think Wellness • Spring 2021
jacket when on the water. As a family medicine physician, I encourage life jackets for the whole family. Drowning can happen quickly and silently. The best way to prevent drowning is to make sure everyone is wearing their life jackets – Grandpa, Mom, Dad and teenagers too.
Colin Weerts, DO, Mankato Clinic Family Medicine
