At Lake Mead National Recreation Area, which is a unit of the National Park Service, we see a disturbing amount of drownings involving "pool toys". These pool toys do not fall under USCG carriage requirements for PFDs so most of the time people are using these items with no PFDs worn or aboard.
There are 3 main ways we are see these issues - chasing after pool toys the wind blows away from shore, either voluntarily or involuntarily leaving the pool toy/pool toy fails to hold air, and trying to swim after an occupied pool toy that is being blown away from the shore - this is usually a dad trying to swim after a child.
These type of incidents are not reportable boat accidents for the USCG so all we can look for data is what we have for records at Lake Mead NRA. I am curious as to whether other areas have these issues with pool toy incidents? Has there been an increase in these type incidents? Anyone know of strategies for managing pool toy use?
Thank you,
Chris Largent
U.S. Park Ranger - Lake Mead NRA
Water Activities Specialist
(702) 293-8972 (Office)
(702) 540-4507 (Cell)