Joplin group aims to promote safety in the water

JOPLIN, Mo. —As the weather heats up, more people may be heading to the water to cool off.  But before jumping in the water, it’s important to make sure you’re being safe. This includes wearing the correct gear and knowing the right techniques.

KOAM spoke with paddleboarding instructors and paddleboarders themselves at Wildcat Glades about the importance of staying safe while enjoying the water.

Instructor Matt Brogan said because of the power bodies of water have, it’s important to always make sure you know what you are doing.

“I think it is very important to let people understand safety gear is very important on this river, you know any waterway, you can see we’ve got life jackets, we’ve got our helmets on, it’s just water is a powerful force, and sometimes you can’t mess with it,” Brogan said.

For first-time paddleboarder Braeden Bennett, he says having these lessons helped him feel safer attempting the activity.

“It helped me with how to get back on the board if you fall, or maybe what to do in a bad situation.”

Instructors say the safest place to be when in the water is on one’s board. They also say to make sure everyone knows the fastest way to get back on should they fall off.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *