Law Signed To Require Life Jackets At Summer Camps

A new state law will require publicly-run summer camps in Massachusetts to have life jackets availabe for children. WAMC’s Paul Tuthill reports. 

Gov. Deval Patrick  signed the bill named for Christian Frechette, a 4-year-old boy who drowned at a town-operated camp in Sturbridge in 2007.

The boy's father, Derek Frechette, pushed for passage of the bill. Frechette has said he brought life jackets for Christian and his then 5-year-old brother to use while swimming in Cedar Lake, but was told by staff that flotation devices were not allowed at the camp.

Under the new law, camps could not refuse the wishes of parents who want their children to wear life jackets in the water. It also requires camps to test the swimming abilities of children at the beginning of summer

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