Forgot your life jacket? Colorado parks often have ones you can borrow before heading out on the water

Officials from Colorado Parks and Wildlife want visitors to bodies of water in the state to remember that even if you forget to pack a life jacket, parks often have them available to borrow.

For David Chavez, there’s no better way to spend a birthday than out on the water.

“I love the water. You know, I’ve been going to the beach since I was a kid. Hitting the sand, jet skis, wakeboarding — it’s pretty awesome,” Chavez said.

This holiday weekend at Cherry Creek State Park, it has been all about Jet Skis, boats and food like burgers and brats on the shore. But park officials say the most important part of any lake day is something you can’t eat or ride: life vests.

“We made sure we brought everyone a life vest — everyone who gets on the watercraft,” Chavez said.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife has been driving home that safety message for years. They want visitors to remember that even if you forget to pack a life jacket, parks often have them available to borrow.

“Any of the state parks with bodies of water — most of them are going to have a loaner station,” CPW said.

Those loaner stations, usually located near the boat ramps, are stocked with life jackets for the public to use. CPW stresses that everyone should wear one, no matter how confident they are in the water.

“Even if you’re a good swimmer, water can be really dangerous and unpredictable for anybody,” CPW officials said.

Park officials want to drive home the message that the choice to wear a life jacket isn’t about comfort — it’s about survival.

As Chavez put it simply: “It can save your life.”