KENNEWICK -- Mark Allen and Tammy Porter aren't spies, but they were outfitted with surveillance gear Saturday.
They had binoculars and a spotting scope, which is like a mini-telescope. They kept their eyes glued to the water at the marina on the west end of Columbia Park in Kennewick, jotting down notes on their clipboards.
They weren't taking down names or other identifying information, just the number of boaters they saw and whether they were wearing life proper life jackets. The data is for a study on personal flotation devices being done by Seattle Children's Hospital.
Wearing life jackets when out on the water is important, said Allen, a water safety expert and drowning prevention specialist. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4, and the second leading cause of death for kids ages 1-14, he said.
He and Porter were pleased to see that most children out on boats Saturday were wearing life jackets. But they wished their parents would put them on them too.
Kids 12 and under are required by law to wear Coast Guard-approved life jackets when they're on a boat that's less than 19 feet long. Adults don't have too, but they should because an accident can happen without warning, Allen said.
It can take less than a minute for a person to drown, he said. And most boating fatalities happen on boats that are less than 16 feet long, like some that were out on the river Saturday, he said.
Allen and Porter sat on chairs on the sidewalk above the marina. There were several boats coming in and taking off, so they were scribbling to keep up.
"We're going as fast as we can," Porter said with a laugh.
They were out last weekend collecting data, and they'll likely be out again today in a different spot.
Allen wasn't sure when the study might be published. But he was sure of his message, which he was happy to share with passers-by who asked what he and Porter were doing.
"I want everyone to wear a life jacket," he said.
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