MATHIS, Texas — Texas Parks and Wildlife has installed mobile life jacket stations at Lake Corpus Christi as part of ongoing efforts to improve water safety.
This initiative comes after the formation of the Water Safety Coalition Task Force in December 2024, following multiple drownings at the lake. The task force's goals include providing water safety orientation and vouchers for life jackets.
"A life jacket is the best way for us to be able to respond in an emergency situation," Park Superintendent, Kelly Ann Malkowski said.
The life jacket stations were installed this week as the lake prepares for the summer season beginning with Memorial Day weekend.
"A lake is much different swimming experience than a pool, there are so many unknowns there could be. You could be the best and strongest swimmer in the world and still have an unfortunate accident," Malkowski said.
The three new mobile stations allow park staff to position life jackets where people are swimming, making safety equipment more accessible to visitors.
"So you would come up to the station, you'd open the clip, you would kind of visually assess which life jacket do I think would fit, pull it off and then read. Is this going to fit me?" Malkowski said.
The lifejackets are free to borrow, but visitors are asked to return them after use so others can benefit from them.
Park staff are available to help visitors find the right size lifejacket if needed.
