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High water levels cause officers to stress importance of life jackets

Posted at 6:33 PM, Jun 26, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-26 18:33:17-04

INDIANAPOLIS – High water levels have caused Indiana conservation officers to issue a warning about water safety and stress the importance of life jackets.

Officers said even experienced swimmers and kayakers can find themselves in trouble.

This past weekend a number of people were rescued – including five women who lost control of their kayaks during a birthday celebration on the White River.

“The people this weekend were pretty lucky considering,” said Indianapolis Fire Department Battalion Chief of Special Operations Kevin Jones. “They were very fortunate, especially since they were not wearing life jackets. They had (life jackets) with them, however they weren’t wearing them. We had two people get swept downstream who were unaccounted for a short amount of time."

 

Learn more about water safety and life jacket recommendations in the video player.

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