News article from KFSM channel 5:
ROGERS, Ark. — Life Scout Benyamin Adams in Boy Scout Troop 107 of Springdale is planning to add lifejacket loaner stations to three private marinas on Beaver Lake.
"If I was going to do some sort of project, I'd really like to benefit the lake as I mean, it just, there's so much community around it so much happening," said Adams. "There's a big problem on Beaver Lake right now with a lot of people not wearing their life jackets and a lot of people don't understand the importance of wearing them while boating."
The proposed stations will be locker-like cabinets that will store lifejackets for the boating public to borrow. So far, three private marinas have agreed to participate in the project: War Eagle, Horseshoe Bend, and Hickory Creek Marina.
The U.S Coast Guard estimates that life jackets could have saved over 80 percent of boating fatality victims.
The service project will help Adams achieve the highest ranking for a boy scout, Eagle Scout. His father, Jesse Adams, explained that Ben had come up with the idea 2 years ago. Jesse said that 9 months ago, Ben had begun the paperwork to make the stations a reality. The father explained that Ben had always been involved with anything in the water.
"You know, ever since Ben was a small child, it was hard to keep him out of the water," said Jesse. "We've always known that water was going to be a big part of his life"
"For me, it's just a project that will help me achieve a higher rank but to everybody else, it'll be hopefully a project that'll make a difference," said Ben.
Ben hopes to launch the stations before the Summer of 2023.