I can't stress enough to please wear your life jacket while on the water at anytime.
If something totally unexpected happens and throws you in the water it won't do you any good if it's in the boat and your in the water.

I never could understand why I would read these stories about "GOOD SWIMMERS" drowning.
Then my wife and I when we were younger decided to go float the river down by Austin. We were sitting in our tubes letting that Texas Sun bake us. I decided to slip off my tube and cool off. So I jumped in, but had one arm through the tube. As soon as my hot skin hit the water my muscles immediately contracted and I literally could not move my legs. (Zero ability to kick...I was an anchor)
If I did not have my arm through that tube I would have sunk.

I think this is what is happening to folks that are known to be good swimmers yet drown.

The Texas Community lost a 17 year old on Lavon yesterday. They still haven't located his body. Evidently there have been 9 drownings so far this year with two on a private pond last weekend. There was even a boy up in Oregon who jumped in a river only to be swept away while his friends recorded with their cell his last moments before he drowned.

Every one of these articles had the same theme:
"WEAR A LIFE JACKET"!

Don't become another statistic.
Don't become another headline.

Wear it! Please Wear it. Wear it!

They may be $85-$200 for the ones that are really non intrusive. I recommend one that inflates automatically if you hit the water in case you hit your head and get knocked out. If $85-$200 would buy you a life jacket that you would wear anytime and the entire time your on the water knowing it might save your life would you get it?

Is your life worth that price?

The Gift of Life is Priceless as we all know.

Don't let it be taken because you aren't wearing your life jacket.

Stay Safe and Tight Lines!

My prayers are with the families that have lost loved ones to drowning.

Nicely said, could not agree more.

Another horrible preventable tragedy, we saw that party barge on our way in yesterday. Prayers to the family.

Well put. Bought a self inflating life jacked for exactly that reason.

I spend $200 a months on life-jackets (they lose effectiveness with time, plus I pick latest technological advancements in this field) -- never felt more secure in my life, worth every penny!

Thank you HOGON !
I'm the Director of Safety for a major airlines at DFW, EVERYDAY at work we brief yesterdays employee accidents, yes EVERYDAY !!!
We preach SAFETY in aviation day in and day out, and the biggest excuses we uncover is "it happened so fast", and "I never thought that could hapeen to me"..
The only way to be safe is to be aware of the hazards. Slips,Trips,and Falls is the biggest cause of accidents in ever industry, and daily activity.
What frightens me on the water (boating) is I think people think they are being safe, and are not aware of the hazards.
I hate to see a pontoon boat full of people and no one wearing a life jacket, I see it all the time, especially with kids.
Remember this,...there is a reason they are called LIFE jackets, and KILL switches. Be safe out there.

I agree with you even though I am guilty of not always wearing one. I was out there and saw the search efforts. It is sad to know the young man is gone and has a family and friends that are grieving due to an avoidable situation.

I was just thinking the young man also might have jumped in and hit an underwater stump and knocked himself out too. Very sad.

I see many on the water that will wear their jacket while running, but take it off while fishing.
Not a good habit to be doing that in my opinion.

If your on the water your jacket needs to be on.

We were fishing Lavon on May 21 and observed a double deck pontoon style boat with 20 - 30 kids on it. They stopped and they all commenced to jumping in and swimming. I made the comment to my son, "there's no way I would have that many kids on a boat swimming, too hard to keep track of them all." When we left we idled by and observed several in the water without life jackets, and only maybe 4 to 5 adults onboard.... Bad things can happen on or in the water in a hurry... Sad to hear about the young man, Hope they find him soon so his family can have closure. Prayers going up....

Always Preached!
As with most "preaching" it falls on deaf ears anyway
Chuck Norris wears a PFD fwiw
Death is never an accident,when its time . . . . .

Prayers to all the families effected. Well put HOGON!

They found him yesterday evening about 20-30 yards from where he jumped. I was out yesterday and saw the search going on..sad deal. Always wear a life jacket no matter what

Amen to always wearing PFD's. And, if I may add, a lot of the coves on Lavon have standing timber that is not visible now that the lake is full. So even with a life jacket on, jumping off of a boat puts you at risk of breaking an ankle or worse.

I fish Lavon almost exclusively, and now use my electronics to find trees that I tied up to in 2013 when the lake was low. I heard that the tragic loss of this young man happened near Clear Lake. Both coves on either side of the ramp have plenty of submerged trees that I've fished many times. I can imagine how it could happen. But I cannot imagine what his family is enduring. Praying for them.

Sad story:
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2017/06/05/search-resumes-for-teen-missing-on-lake-lavon/

Prayers to the friends and family.

Well said HOGON.