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</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width=131 height=152 src="cid:image002.png@01CC0E50.8B8985C0" align=right hspace=12 v:shapes="Picture_x0020_4"><![endif]><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>For Immediate Release Date: May 9, 2011<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><h1 style='margin-top:0in'><o:p> </o:p></h1><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>‘Wear It’ to Kick Off National Safe Boating Week<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'> What comes to mind when you think of safety? A hard hat? Seat belt? <i>Life jacket?</i> A life jacket is valuable safety gear; the hard part is actually getting people to wear one. Nationwide, with close to 500 people drowning each year in recreational boating accidents, more important than ever for people on the water to “Wear It.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'> The Oregon State Marine Board is hosting a “Ready, Set, Inflate! Wear It” event at the M. James Gleason Boat Ramp (formerly called the 42<sup>nd</sup> Street Boat Ramp) on Saturday, May 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to create awareness about the importance of wearing a life jacket. The public is invited to attend and encouraged to bring their own life jackets –inflatable or traditional Type I, II, III or V styles, and participate in <i>“the most people wearing life jackets at the same time,” </i>world-record attempt. The official count-down begins at noon when people will be asked to deploy their inflatable life jackets or don a traditional life jacket. An official tally and photo will be taken for submission to the National Safe Boating Council.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'> The event will highlight members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Multnomah County River Patrol, Portland Fire and Rescue and other boating safety advocates who will provide activities and boat tours. Participants will have a chance to enter/exit an unstable boat, learn how to rescue someone in distress, and try on a variety of different life jackets. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'> In 2010, 12 Oregon boaters lost their lives and 11 of those boaters were not wearing a life jacket. Nationwide, the statistic ranges between 85-90% of recreational boating fatality victims were not wearing a life jacket. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'> The Oregon State Marine Board has produced several public service announcements using real survivor stories about the importance of wearing a life jacket. In 2009, Jennifer survived white water rapids when she unexpectedly capsized and was so disoriented that she was unable to stay calm. She credits wearing her life jacket with saving her life. To hear Jennifer’s story and other survivor’s visit the Marine Board’s YouTube channel at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/MarineBoard?feature=mhum">http://www.youtube.com/user/MarineBoard?feature=mhum</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:200%'>###<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Click here for the <b><a href="http://www.boatoregon.com/OSMB/news/2011/WearItMediaAdvisory.docx">Official Media Advisory</a></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Ashley A. Massey<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Public Information Officer<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Oregon State Marine Board<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>503-378-2623 (office)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>503-302-1049 (mobile)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:Ashley.massey@state.or.us">Ashley.massey@state.or.us</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#000099'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.boatoregon.com/"><span style='color:#000099;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=52 height=52 id="Picture_x0020_4" src="cid:image003.jpg@01CC0E50.249DDDC0" alt="Description: cid:image001.jpg@01CBA0E3.BDEAC090"></span></a><span style='color:#000099'> </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/boatoregon"><span style='color:windowtext;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=44 height=44 id="il_fi" src="cid:image004.png@01CC0E50.249DDDC0" alt="Description: Description: Description: Description: http://static.technorati.com/10/09/17/18465/Facebook-icon.png"></span></a><span style='color:#000099'> </span><a href="http://twitter.com/marineboard"><span style='color:#000099;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=44 height=44 id="Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:image005.jpg@01CC0E50.249DDDC0" alt="Description: Description: Description: http://cdn.pastemagazine.com/www/system/images/thumbs/www/articles_2009_10_09/twitter_logo_300x300.jpg?1273889336"></span></a><span style='color:#000099'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:Webdings;color:green'>P</span><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'> </span><span lang=EN-GB style='color:green'>Keeping it Green; conserve paper and print only what you need.</span><b> </b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>