Life jackets for children now available to borrow in McHenry

October 19, 2021 at 11:30 am CDT

An McHenry Township Fire Protection District crew patrol the area of the Pistakee
Lake where a 49-year-old man was pulled after he was submerged in Lake in
Johnsburg for nearly 45 minutes. The man was later pronounced dead. Kyle
Grillot - kgrillot@shawmedia.com — In this undated Northwest Herald photo, an McHenry Township Fire Protection District crew patrols an area of the Pistakee Lake where a man drowned.

A new life jacket loaner program offered by the McHenry Township Fire Protection District allows boaters to borrow properly-fitting children’s life jackets for the day.

The life jackets can be picked up at Station 1, 3610 W. Elm St., at the corner of Highway 120 and Route 31, for free and returned later that day, according to a news release.

“Statistics show that in many water craft incidents involving children, they were not wearing a life jacket. We are proud to be part of this innovative program to help protect children while they are enjoying the many waterways in our fire district” Chief Rudy Horist said in a statement.

The program is made possible through a partnership with the BoatUS Foundation.

To find other loaner locations, visit www.boatus.org/loaner.