Coastguard's latest boating safety initiative, the 'Old4New Lifejacket Upgrade' campaign, which has seen a van laden with brand new lifejackets visiting boat ramps around the northern region over recent weeks, has received "incredible" support from the public and wide marine industry according to spokeswoman Georgie Smith.
More than 400 lifejackets had been traded in over the previous month, and that tally would grow by the end of this month.
"Anyone who owns a lifejacket will be able to upgrade their current one for a brand new fit-for-purpose lifejacket with a competitive trade-in discount," Ms Smith said.
The Old4New initiative, with the tagline 'Wear a lifejacket - It never ruined a day on the water,' had seen the swapping of some that were half a century old, classic sailing and cork jackets, others that children had grown out of or that had long been sitting unused in the front of a boat.
"Sadly this year we have seen an increase in boating-related drownings, especially with males in small craft not wearing lifejackets," she added.
