Kids Boating Safety Class

How to Make A Rescue Bag

At a recent "Boating Safety for Kids" class, Chris, Nicholas and Patrick made a rescue bag.  You too, can build this simple, life-saving device.  Here's how!!

Chris and Nicholas got two plastic grocery bags and put one inside the other.  They wrapped masking tape around the two sets of handles.  (This is definitely a two person job.)

Patrick found 30-40 feet of old rope.  Marilyn helped him tie one end of the rope to one taped handle.

Sandy held the bag while Patrick laid the rest of the line in the bag with the free end sticking out of the top of the bag.

If someone falls overboard, these boys know how to stay seated, blow their whistle and throw the bag and a seat cushion, a cooler top, or anything else that floats to the person in the water.

To throw the bag, they just hang onto the free end of the line and throw the bag with the rest of the rope inside it.  If they miss, they pull the bag back in.  Put the line back in the bag.  Hang onto the end of the line and throw it again.  They practiced this at class.

Remember that if you practice this in the boat, you don't have to put the line back in the bag.  Just lay the line at your feet, fill the bag with some water to give it weight, hang onto the free end of the line, and throw the bag again.

Jim demonstrates the correct way to hold onto the rescue bag, to keep his face from going under water.  Kim pulls him back to the "boat".