“Life Jackets Saves and Pays Day”

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District is offering free entry into participating day use areas Saturday, July 8 at Center Hill Lake, Cordell Hull Lake, Dale Hollow Lake, and J. Percy Priest Lake during “Life Jackets Saves and Pays Day.”
“Life Jackets Saves and Pays Day” is a local event held each year by USACE to emphasize the importance of wearing a life jacket when around water. During last year’s event more than 450 visitors brought their life jackets to 11 participating Nashville District day use areas. Presenting a life jacket, each visitor enjoyed a free one-day admittance to the area.
“This is a twofold event,” explained Park Ranger Ben MacIntyre at J. Percy Priest Lake. “It allows the public an opportunity for a free day at the lake, plus by having boaters show us their life jackets, they then have them out, inspected, and ready to use, as opposed to keeping the life jackets stored or hidden away.”
As always, USACE park hosts and park rangers encourage visitors to not stow their life jackets away, but instead keep them out, or better yet, wear them. Many boaters do not plan on swimming and statistics show that most drowning victims had no intention of being in the water, and were often within 10-30 feet of safety. Wearing a life jacket could make the difference between drowning or returning to shore and family.