Most Tulsa District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers parks re-opened for the 2018 recreation season, April 1 and as the largest provider of water-based outdoor recreation in the nation, the Corps is working to reduce water-related fatalities by educating the public on water safety.
The Tulsa District, which manages 256 recreation areas at 37 lakes in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas, encourages visitors to wear a properly-fitting, U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation devices or life jackets when in or around the water.
"Wearing a properly-fitted, life jacket or PFD while swimming or boating is the single-most effective action you can take to prevent drowning while swimming or boating," said Abby Jones, a natural resource recreation manager, and president of the Tulsa District Water Safety Professional Development Team.
Since 2012, 83 lives have been lost due to drowning at Tulsa District reservoirs or recreation areas. None of the 14 drowning victims in 2017 were wearing life jackets.
So far in 2018, five deaths by drowning have occurred in Tulsa District Reservoirs.