Colorado Eagle Scout creates life jacket lending station: "It could help save your life"

With Memorial Day weekend signaling the unofficial kickoff of summer, it's also the start of the water recreation season. But with fun on the water comes risk. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says there were 20 water-related fatalities in 2025 in Colorado. Eleven of those were boat-related, with eight involving a paddle craft.

In Colorado, children 12 and under are legally required to wear a life jacket, but CPW strongly recommends everyone wear one on the water.

The agency has been working to provide free life jackets to recreators. Right now, there are almost 40 free life jacket loaner stations in the state. One of the newest was made possible by a Longmont Eagle Scout.

"Your awesome day at the lake can go to a very distressing one quickly," said Grant Brown, boating safety and registrations program manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. "Unfortunately, these drowning incidents happen in seconds."

"Out of nowhere, the wind kicked up, and it was so windy we couldn't paddle, we couldn't go anywhere," said recreator Sherry Pacheco.

High winds and cold water can spell tragedy on the water.

"I always wondered, how do people drown out there on their paddleboard? And then after that, it's like, oh, I get it," Pacheco said. "Your life jacket is stuck to your paddle board, and then what do you do if, you know, the wind blows your paddle board away and it picks it up because the paddle board's so light it'll pick it up and take it away."

"Traditionally, wind events coupled with cold water is usually when we see incidents," said Brown. "Imagine you've fallen off your board into very cold water. Instinctively, physiologically, you panic, and you'll gulp water. They say those first few seconds will determine the survivability of that. Oftentimes, people try to swim after that paddleboard. Unfortunately, you'll never be able to catch up to a craft that's floating on the surface of the water."

A life jacket can make all the difference. That's why CPW was happy to work with Longmont and Eagle Scout Magnus Henry to bring a life jacket loaner station to Lake McIntosh.

"Its purpose is to hold life jackets for the community to use," said Henry.

"People are coming in and might get to the lake and forget a life jacket at home or just not have one, and then instead of risking paddling without one, just grab one, so you can have a safe day," said Brown.

In the past year, Henry designed and built the station for his Eagle Scout project, which holds free jackets anyone can borrow while on the water.

"Take a look inside, you'll notice that a lot of the slots where life jackets are empty, so it probably means that they're being used," said Henry.

"I feel more comfortable with her having the life jacket out on the water, just in case she falls off the paddleboard or out of the kayak, as she floats and she's safe. That's the most important thing to me, is just making sure she's safe," a recreator said of her daughter.

With Memorial Day weekend signaling the kickoff for boating season, the station is getting plenty of use.

"I know probably a lot of people don't think to or don't remember to bring life vests, so it's nice just to have that option there," said recreator Tony Adams, who grabbed and used a life vest along with his friend Reema Baishya.

"We were just looking for a lake day. The weather's really great today, so we just wanted to get out," said Baishya. "They're right there, so that worked out well."

"I love seeing them grab that jacket and put it on, so it's being used. That's potentially a life saved right there from this loaner station," said Brown.

Henry hopes the station is a reminder that safety is just a jacket away.

"It's free, here to use. Please take one, it could help save your life," said Henry.

Some tips that could save your life on the water this summer:

• Consider taking a boater safety class. A paddleboard is considered a vessel.
• Check the weather before you go.
• Don't paddleboard alone.
• Don't just grab a life vest or bring it on your paddleboard; put it on. It can't save you if you're not wearing it.