MOUNT VERNON — As the community gears up for the summer boating season, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and the Sea Tow Foundation™ are excited to remind boaters about the importance of wearing life jackets while on the water.
To help ensure a safe and enjoyable boating experience, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office stocked its life jacket loaner station located at Apple Valley Lake’s east boat launch. The station is ready to provide life jackets for the boating community to borrow and return for free.
With the summer season being one of the busiest times for boating, safety is a top priority. In the most recent USCG boating statistics, 87% of the people who died in a boating incident drowned because they weren’t wearing a life jacket.
The Sea Tow Foundation’s Life Jacket Loaner Program aims to prevent such tragedies by making life jackets accessible to all boaters at no cost. The foundation has over 1,300+ Life Jacket Loaner Stations located across all 56 states and territories.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office opened its station in 2025 to help ensure Knox County boaters have access to life-saving equipment and promote a culture of safety on the water.
The life jacket loaner station at the Apple Valley Lake east boat launch is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It offers life jackets in sizes ranging from infant to adult extra-large, ensuring everyone in your group can find a proper fit.
Boaters are asked to return the life jackets after use so others can benefit from this valuable resource.
Sea Tow Foundation
In addition to borrowing life jackets, boaters can visit the Sea Tow Foundation’s website at https://www.boatingsafety.com for more boating safety tips and resources.
Join the Knox County Sheriff’s Office in promoting a culture of safety on the water this summer. Let’s work together to ensure everyone has a fantastic and safe boating experience.
For more information about the Sea Tow Foundation’s Life Jacket Loaner Program, visit
https://www.boatingsafety.com/page/life-jacket-loaner-program.
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