Corps Rangers: Reach, Throw, Row, Don't Go!

Pittsburgh District
Published Aug. 6, 2012
KITTANNING, Pa. — Crooked Creek Lake Student Ranger Travis November shows kids at the Kittanning YMCA the proper way to fit and wear a life jacket, July 30, 2012.

KITTANNING, Pa. — Crooked Creek Lake Student Ranger Travis November shows kids at the Kittanning YMCA the proper way to fit and wear a life jacket, July 30, 2012.

KITTANNNING, Pa. — Crooked Creek Lake Rangers Travis November and April Hawkey flank children who attended the water safety program at the Kittanning YMCA, July 30, 2012.

KITTANNNING, Pa. — Crooked Creek Lake Rangers Travis November and April Hawkey flank children who attended the water safety program at the Kittanning YMCA, July 30, 2012.

KITTANNING, Pa. — Children had a chance to practice throwing a water safety throw bag to a drowning "victim" during a U.S. Corps of Engineers water safety day program at the YMCA here, July 30, 2012.

KITTANNING, Pa. — Children had a chance to practice throwing a water safety throw bag to a drowning "victim" during a U.S. Corps of Engineers water safety day program at the YMCA here, July 30, 2012.

KITTANNING, Pa. — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Crooked Creek Lake Park Ranger April Hawkey and Student Park Ranger Travis November presented a water safety program for a day camp at the Richard G. Snyder YMCA here, July 30, 2012.

The camp consisted of about 40 children ranging in ages from 6 to 12 years old. The topic of the program was personal flotation devices (PFD) and water safety. The kids had the opportunity to try on PFDs and learned how to properly fit their life jackets.

The Corps of Engineers rangers also taught the children about rescue techniques when someone is drowning. They had a chance to toss a water safety throw ring and a water safety throw bag at a cone that represented a drowning victim. This reinforced the motto the children were taught that day: "Reach, Throw, Row, Don't Go."

Each participant received a bag of water safety materials to remind them to be safe around the water.