Fishing safety tips to help prevent injuries
June 9, 2023
Media Contact
Media Contact
Sheboygan County – As anglers start venturing to the water across Sheboygan County this summer, HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital and Prevea Health are offering some health and safety tips to help prevent some of the most common injuries to fishing enthusiasts.
While fishing can provide relaxation and comfort during Wisconsin’s warmer months, the activity can also present several potential safety and health hazards. Some of the most common fishing-related safety hazards include prolonged exposure to the sun, which can cause both cancer and heatstroke; cuts and scrapes from sharp objects like fishing gear and fish’s teeth and fins; and slips and falls, both on boats and on shore.
The experts at HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital and Prevea Health recommend the following safety measures to help avoid injury and other health-related risks while fishing:
• Wear sunscreen (30+ SPF), long-sleeved clothing, hats and sunglasses to protect skin from UV rays
• Use caution when handling sharp objects like hooks, knives, and fishing gear
• Wear protective gloves when cleaning or grabbing fish
• Eat healthy snacks including fruits, lean proteins and carbohydrates to help prevent cramps and muscle fatigue
• Help eliminate tripping hazards by not leaving lines, rods and tackle on the ground
• Rather than putting a hand in a fish’s mouth, use a hook remover or cut the line to help avoid cuts
• Pack a first aid kit, water, maps, flashlights and a radio or cell phone within the boat for emergencies
• Always tell friends or family where you are traveling to and when you anticipate returning
• Wear life jackets when on or near water
• Wear shoes rather than bare feet or sandals to help reduce the risk of slipping, falling and cuts
• Use caution around engines and winches, and keep limbs and clothing away from their moving parts
According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), one of the most preventable fatal injuries on the water can be prevented through the use of a well-fitted life jacket. The DNR says most people who drown in boating accidents know how to swim but become incapacitated in the water, often when an accident happens without warning. This is why the DNR recommends everyone wear a life jacket at all times while boating, regardless of a person’s swimming ability to avoid potential injuries.
If a fishing-related injury were to occur while an angler was in Sheboygan County, options for local care are always available nearby. At HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital, located at 3100 Superior Ave. in Sheboygan, the emergency department is open 24/7. For various less severe injuries, such as cuts without profuse bleeding but requiring stitches, minor joint injuries, and dehydration, Prevea Urgent Care locations in Sheboygan County are located at 1411 N. Taylor Drive in Sheboygan and 950 Woodlake Road in Kohler. This team of healthcare experts is prepared to not only treat various injuries but also to offer guidance and support as a patient works their way through the recovery process of an injury.
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About HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital
HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital has been delivering high quality health care to Sheboygan and its surrounding communities since 1890. HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital provides a comprehensive range of services that include cancer care, women’s services, 24-hour emergency care, digestive health, orthopedics, cardiac, home health and hospice care. The hospital’s primary purpose is to continue Christ’s healing love through the delivery of high quality and compassionate health care in an environment sensitive to the needs of all people. HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. An affiliate of Hospital Sisters Health System, we draw on the history of St. Francis of Assisi as we move to continue serving the health care needs of our area in Christ’s healing ministry, caring for all people. To learn more, visit www.stnicholashospital.org.
About Hospital Sisters Health System
Hospital Sisters Health System’s (HSHS) mission is to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high quality, Franciscan health care ministry. HSHS provides state-of-the-art health care to our patients and is dedicated to serving all people, especially the most vulnerable, at each of our physician practices and 15 local hospitals in two states - Illinois (Breese, Decatur, Effingham, Greenville, Highland, Litchfield, O’Fallon, Shelbyville and Springfield) and Wisconsin (Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Oconto Falls, Sheboygan, and two in Green Bay). HSHS is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries, and Hospital Sisters of St. Francis is the founding institute. For more information about HSHS, visit www.hshs.org. For more information about Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, visit www.hospitalsisters.org.
About Prevea Health
Founded in Green Bay, Wis. in 1996, Prevea Health is a health care organization that provides high-quality, primary and specialty health care in 80+ locations across Northern, Eastern and Western Wisconsin in clinic and hospital settings. It is partnered with six Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) hospitals across Wisconsin to provide patients a system of highly-coordinated care, close to home: HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center in Green Bay; HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan; HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls; HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire; and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls. For more information, visit www.prevea.com.
While fishing can provide relaxation and comfort during Wisconsin’s warmer months, the activity can also present several potential safety and health hazards. Some of the most common fishing-related safety hazards include prolonged exposure to the sun, which can cause both cancer and heatstroke; cuts and scrapes from sharp objects like fishing gear and fish’s teeth and fins; and slips and falls, both on boats and on shore.
The experts at HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital and Prevea Health recommend the following safety measures to help avoid injury and other health-related risks while fishing:
• Wear sunscreen (30+ SPF), long-sleeved clothing, hats and sunglasses to protect skin from UV rays
• Use caution when handling sharp objects like hooks, knives, and fishing gear
• Wear protective gloves when cleaning or grabbing fish
• Eat healthy snacks including fruits, lean proteins and carbohydrates to help prevent cramps and muscle fatigue
• Help eliminate tripping hazards by not leaving lines, rods and tackle on the ground
• Rather than putting a hand in a fish’s mouth, use a hook remover or cut the line to help avoid cuts
• Pack a first aid kit, water, maps, flashlights and a radio or cell phone within the boat for emergencies
• Always tell friends or family where you are traveling to and when you anticipate returning
• Wear life jackets when on or near water
• Wear shoes rather than bare feet or sandals to help reduce the risk of slipping, falling and cuts
• Use caution around engines and winches, and keep limbs and clothing away from their moving parts
According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), one of the most preventable fatal injuries on the water can be prevented through the use of a well-fitted life jacket. The DNR says most people who drown in boating accidents know how to swim but become incapacitated in the water, often when an accident happens without warning. This is why the DNR recommends everyone wear a life jacket at all times while boating, regardless of a person’s swimming ability to avoid potential injuries.
If a fishing-related injury were to occur while an angler was in Sheboygan County, options for local care are always available nearby. At HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital, located at 3100 Superior Ave. in Sheboygan, the emergency department is open 24/7. For various less severe injuries, such as cuts without profuse bleeding but requiring stitches, minor joint injuries, and dehydration, Prevea Urgent Care locations in Sheboygan County are located at 1411 N. Taylor Drive in Sheboygan and 950 Woodlake Road in Kohler. This team of healthcare experts is prepared to not only treat various injuries but also to offer guidance and support as a patient works their way through the recovery process of an injury.
###
About HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital
HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital has been delivering high quality health care to Sheboygan and its surrounding communities since 1890. HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital provides a comprehensive range of services that include cancer care, women’s services, 24-hour emergency care, digestive health, orthopedics, cardiac, home health and hospice care. The hospital’s primary purpose is to continue Christ’s healing love through the delivery of high quality and compassionate health care in an environment sensitive to the needs of all people. HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. An affiliate of Hospital Sisters Health System, we draw on the history of St. Francis of Assisi as we move to continue serving the health care needs of our area in Christ’s healing ministry, caring for all people. To learn more, visit www.stnicholashospital.org.
About Hospital Sisters Health System
Hospital Sisters Health System’s (HSHS) mission is to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high quality, Franciscan health care ministry. HSHS provides state-of-the-art health care to our patients and is dedicated to serving all people, especially the most vulnerable, at each of our physician practices and 15 local hospitals in two states - Illinois (Breese, Decatur, Effingham, Greenville, Highland, Litchfield, O’Fallon, Shelbyville and Springfield) and Wisconsin (Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Oconto Falls, Sheboygan, and two in Green Bay). HSHS is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries, and Hospital Sisters of St. Francis is the founding institute. For more information about HSHS, visit www.hshs.org. For more information about Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, visit www.hospitalsisters.org.
About Prevea Health
Founded in Green Bay, Wis. in 1996, Prevea Health is a health care organization that provides high-quality, primary and specialty health care in 80+ locations across Northern, Eastern and Western Wisconsin in clinic and hospital settings. It is partnered with six Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) hospitals across Wisconsin to provide patients a system of highly-coordinated care, close to home: HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center in Green Bay; HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan; HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls; HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire; and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls. For more information, visit www.prevea.com.