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Life Jacket Loaner Stations

Life jacket loaner stations use the honor system and are essential for safety in the local communities. Anyone who needs to use a life jacket can borrow one but needs to be put back for others to use.

Thanks to local public facility owners, the Marine Board works as a funding partner to host life jacket loaner stations. Thanks to the Nautical Safety Foundation and other non-profit organizations, life jacket loaner stations have life jackets to borrow.

Want to help keep people safe on the water? Do you have life jackets in good condition for donation? The Nautical Safety Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization, can work with you to arrange a pickup of your life jackets. You can also donate money to buy new jackets via NSF's website www.nsf-nw.org. We're very grateful to the Nautical Safety Foundation's help supplying life jacket loaner stations with much-needed life jackets.


Meg's brother Derrek, handing out a free life jacket

Meg's step-sister Ashley and Aunt Lonnie explaining life jacket sizes during a Meg's Moments life jacket giveaway

Rob and Jan O'Meara talking about life jackets to a son and daughter

Think of Meg...

Meg O’Meara Clark went out with friends for a fun, relaxing float on the Clackamas River back on July 5, 2013. The day was a typical sunny, hot day not unlike most Julys in Oregon. The water, however, remained cold. The float was a popular one, from Barton Park to Carver Park, roughly a 5.5-miles, on the meandering river, with shallow, sloped areas making for fun “chutes” and gravel bars to pull over for respite.

Meg had been taking breaks to beach her tube and swim periodically. An accomplished swimmer, Meg was comfortable in the water and felt like she was in her element. Meg was floating with her step-brother, Jack Eichhorn. The day had been a blast and just upstream of the Carver boat ramp where floaters take out, Meg jumped in the water for one last dip before the end of the trip. Although this time, she did not resurface. Dive teams and other first responders searched the area for quite some time, which proved difficult. Her family joined in the rescue efforts, although by day three, it was now a recovery mission. Meg’s body was recovered in 15 feet of water, close to where she went in.

Rob O'Meara and Jack Eichhorn on the bank of the Clackamas River near the location where Meg's body was recovered in 2013.“We don’t want anyone else to drown on this river,” says Rob O’Meara. With a quaking voice filled with passion and grief, he said, “It’s preventable. A simple thing like wearing a life jacket. It doesn’t matter how well you can swim. Meg was a great swimmer. It didn’t matter.”

Whenever the water calls, think of Meg…and WEAR A LIFE JACKET.




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Resources

Learn all about life jackets and find one that fits your activity!

What's a good life jacket fit


Become a Partner in Safety! Commit to using images of children and adults wearing life jackets for water recreation 

Life jacket loaner station in downtown Corvallis
If you are interested in donating to the Nautical Safety Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization, you can contact info@nsf-nw.org to arrange a pickup of your life jackets that are in good condition. Or you can make a financial donation for the purchase of new life jackets at www.nsf-nw.org.