The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a Marine Safety Alert for defective Type-I Personal Flotation Devices (PFD). The defect renders the PFD unwearable. More than one hundred defective PFDs have been observed in several inspections of different vessels. The problem is that in the defective units, the waist band strap is fused to the plastic coating on the foam flotation. This prevents a user from properly donning the PFD.

The Coast Guard has not yet released the manufacturer and model of the PFD, as they are continuing the their investigation. However, the photos released clearly shows the style of PFD under investigation. The Coast Guard is "strongly recommending that owners and operators using this type of PFD inspect each one for this condition." Click the link to read Marine Safety Alert 11-18 and get all the details.