- by Anna Jean Bradley

See this beautiful little girl in her life jacket? She got a coupon for a slushie from a marine program because she was wearing it. But I just got something much better than that from our “no exceptions” life jacket policy when a low key outing in calm waters ended in terror (and what could have been tragedy) as a speeding boat hurled us into the water with its wake.

My 4 youngest grand children were all in water over their heads and their life jackets effectively kept their faces above water while we gathered them up (some floating free, some trapped under the overturned boat) and got them to the boat of the kind family who stopped to help.

If you ever have thought “ oh they don’t need them just this once” please think again! I hope no one else has to experience this, ever, but if you do you will thank your lucky stars for those life jackets!