The idea came out of a trip that the Coast Guard made to the North Slope a couple years ago. Michael Folkerts is the recreational boating safety specialist for Coast Guard in Alaska and, while in Barrow, noticed there weren't any life jackets for sale at the AC. When he asked local hunters if they used personal flotation devices (PFDs) on the water, they said they did not, because the bright-colored jackets would scare the animals.
"I asked - if we made them white would you wear them?" Folkerts said. The answer was yes.
Drowning is the most common cause of accidental death among Alaska Natives.
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