Mercury also will join a dozen other Brunswick boat brands in featuring a sweepstakes on social media. The contest prize is a safety kit featuring Attwood's bailer safety kit, a multi-function LED sport light, a first aid kit, a telescoping emergency paddle and a 40-liter dry bag along with two Mustang personal flotation devices and a Mercury Marine emergency-shutoff lanyard. Each of Brunswick's 13 marine brands participating in this initiative will conduct the social media sweepstakes contest, and each will offer a safety kit. Consumers can enter by visiting Mercury Marine's Facebook page athttps://www.facebook.com/MercuryMarine.
The contest is open to all U.S. consumers, with the exception of Brunswick employees and their immediate family, who are ineligible to win. Contestants can enter once a day for the life of the contest, with 13 winners - one for each brand - being selected at random May 26 from the pool of all eligible entries at each brand. Prizes will be shipped within 15 days of the announcement of the winners.
National Safe Boating Week is the launch of the 2015 North American Safe Boating Campaign. This yearlong campaign promotes safe and responsible boating and the value of voluntary, consistent life jacket wear by recreational boaters through the campaign's national theme, "Wear It!"
"You can have a great time while choosing to always wear a life jacket and being a responsible boater," said Pete Chisholm, Mercury Marine product safety manager.
The Council believes life jacket wear is the simplest strategy for boaters to stay safe while enjoying their favorite recreational water activity. According to recent U.S. Coast Guard statistics, drowning was the reported cause of death in 75 percent of all boating fatalities in 2013. Of those, 84 percent were reported as not wearing their life jackets. Today's life jackets are much more comfortable, lightweight and stylish than the bulky orange style most boaters know. There are innovative options, such as inflatable life jackets, that allow mobility and flexibility for activities such as boating, fishing, paddling or hunting, and that are more comfortable and cooler in warmer weather.
The 2015 North American Safe Boating Campaign also promotes:
Using products that promote safe boating, such as safety lanyards. These can be attached to a personal flotation device or around the boat driver's wrist, and connect to an engine-shutoff switch. If the boat driver falls overboard or to the deck of the boat, the engine-shutoff switch will be activated by the lanyard clip, stopping the engine and significantly reducing the risk of bodily harm. Use of the safety lanyard is demonstrated effectively in this video: https://youtu.be/WeR37ArYr_c .
The importance of boating safely, which can be better understood by taking a boating safety course and understanding navigational rules. Classes and on-water instruction are available through many sources, including the United States Power Squadrons.
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