MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center Trauma Department recently donated 30 life jackets to Ponca State Park in Dixon County, Nebraska. The life jackets will be available for people to borrow and return.
The approximately $1,725 donation of U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation devices is part of the MercyOne Trauma Department’s ongoing injury prevention program.
According to the 2022 U.S. Coast Guard Recreational Boating Statistics, there were 4,040 reported accidents that resulted in 636 deaths and 2,222 injuries on our nation's waterways. Where the cause of death was known, 75% of fatal boating accident victims drowned. Of those drowning victims with reported jacket usage, 85% were not wearing a life jacket.
Ponca State Park is a public recreation area four miles north of Ponca, Nebraska. It is located on the banks of the Missouri River