ShorePoint Health Donates ‘Safety Stations’ to Local Yacht Club
12/9/2022
As a coastal community, the townspeople of Punta Gorda are no strangers to water. The city borders the Charlotte Harbor which leads out to the Gulf of Mexico, making recreational water activities, such as boating and fishing, a favorite pastime of residents. Unfortunately, where there are so many who enjoy being in or on the water, accidents are bound to occur. According to the Florida Department of Health, more than 100 people have died from drowning in the last 10 years in Charlotte County, with even more people being involved in non-fatal accidents.
ShorePoint Health hopes to aid the community in reducing drowning fatalities through its donation of safety stations to the Isles Yacht Club of Punta Gorda. These stations have been installed in four locations along the docks of the Isles Yacht Club (IYC), and contain life-saving equipment such as life jackets, throw lines, buoyant rescue tubes, and first aid kits.
Commodore of the Isles Yacht Club Rose Askew-Hergenhan, stated: “The installation of these emergency stations is a major improvement in the Isles Yacht Club marina. We are grateful for our fleet surgeon, Dr. James McCarty, along with ShorePoint Health to conceive and organize these stations.”
ShorePoint Health Punta Gorda Board Member and IYC Fleet Surgeon Dr. James McCarty, is the man who developed the idea for these safety stations, after witnessing incidents of people falling overboard at the IYC. “The water there is quite deep, which makes it more difficult to rescue someone who has gone overboard, without the proper equipment.” explains Dr. McCarty. “As the Isles Yacht Club fleet surgeon one of my goals was to enhance the waterfront safety for our members and guests. I contacted both ShorePoint Health and the PG Fire Department who both stepped up immediately to work as a team for this project, along with Busy Bee Cabinets.”
When approached by Dr. McCarty with the idea of donating the safety stations, the decision was easy for ShorePoint Health. “We are always looking for opportunities to improve the health and well-being of our community.” said Andy Romine, chief executive officer of ShorePoint Health. The ability to provide these safety stations and knowing that the Isles Yacht Club is now equipped with the tools that could potentially save someone’s life, is exactly the kind of impact we want to make.”
The Isles Yacht Club held an unveiling ceremony for their new safety stations on Wednesday, December 7th. Administration from ShorePoint Health as well as the mayor of Punta Gorda and the chief of the Punta Gorda Fire Department were in attendance, speaking to IYC members about the importance of this new equipment and how to use it in an emergency situation.
Back