Life Jacket Loaner Program
Open water drownings most often occur within a few feet of safety. Most drowning victims had a life jacket available and chose not to wear it. The lifejacket loaner program was created to make lifejackets available lakeside.
Lakeside Kiosks
Ryan Thomas was an active 21-year-old who knew how to swim. He was an experienced boater. But one warm October day, Ryan drowned 20 feet from the dock. Investigations could not conclude what caused Ryan to drown. The only thing his family knows is that he might not have lost his life if he had worn a life jacket.
The DPCA has partnered with the Ryan Thomas Foundation to collaborate with other state and local entities to establish life jacket loaner stations at several lakes and rivers in Arizona. The stations are located near the dock of each lake and will allow boaters to use a life jacket from the loaner station and return it at the end of the day. The stations not only provides life jackets to those who do not have them, it also serves as a reminder for all individuals to put their jacket on.
Thanks to your support, Arizona Game & Fish Department and the Ryan Thomas Foundation have established 18 life jacket kiosks across Arizona.
Arizona Game and Fish
Arizona Game & Fish collaborates with entities across the state to install life jacket loaner stations.
State Parks
Arizona Game & Fish has collaborated with State Parks to install life jacket loaner stations at the following locations: Windsor Beach - North Ramp, Windsor Beach - South Beach, Windsor Beach - Ramp #3, Cattail Cove - Marina Ramp, Patagonia Lake - Main Ramp, Roper Lake - Main Ramp, River Island - Main Ramp, Buckskin - Main Ramp, Lyman Lake - Main Ramp.
National Park Service
Arizona Game & Fish has collaborated with the National Park Service to install life jacket loaner stations at the following locations: Lake Mohave - Marina Ramp, Lake Mohave - Telephone Cove.
National Forest Service
Arizona Game & Fish has collaborated with the National Forest Service to install life jacket loaner stations at the following locations: Bartlett Lake - North Ramp, Bartlett Lake South Ramp, Saguaro Lake - Marina Ramp, Saguaro Lake - North Ramp, Canyon Lake - North Ramp, Canyon Lake - South Ramp, Apache Lake - Marina Ramp, Apache Lake - South Ramp.
City of Cottonwood
Arizona Game & Fish has collaborated with the City of Cottonwood Arizona to install life jacket loaner stations at the following locations: TAPCO River Access Point, Tuzigoot River Access Point.
Bullhead City
Arizona Game & Fish has collaborated with Bullhead City Arizona, Willow Springs Recreation Area, Alamo Lake, and Woods Canyon Lake to provide portable life jacket stations.
Working on installing life jacket loaner stations at the following locations: City of Parker, Deadhorse State Park, Goldwater Lake, Black Canyon Lake, Fool Hollow Lake, City of Payson, Roosevelt Lake, Parker Canyon Lake, and Pena Blanca Lake.