12/24/2019 WWMT Top 3 West Michigan weather stories of 2019 New statistics from the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project showed Lake Michigan drowning deaths were up compared to 2018. Cold water shock can cause an involuntary hyperventilation gasp reflex, so know the rules of hypothermia. Sympathy Ideas. 07/05/2018 Kenosha News Another tragedy too easily avoided Its happened again someone has drowned in Lake Michigan. Sitting in front of someone who has suffered a tragedy in their life and asking them questions is the hardest thing Ive done in my career as a journalist. According to statistics from the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, more people drown in Lake Michigan each year than any of the other Great Lakes. Benjamin argues, when it comes to water safety, time is of the essence. And most importantly, Benjamin says you should always have life jackets when around any body of water. . We start making a lot of mistakes and thats why we start to hyperventilate.. He hopes the effort will span to all Michigan beaches. Something happens in the water that causes panic. Brock advises parents to teach children what to do if you get in trouble in the water. The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project is another resource for water safety. And expressed frustration that cities dont make water safety more of a priority. Since 2010, Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project statistics show there have been 622 drownings in the Great Lakes, 292 of them in Lake Michigan, with 41 Lake Michigan fatalities so far this year. Indiana conservation officials credited Myles Wright and Devin Newton with saving two young girls from drowning, the News Dispatch reported. The problem was the way the weight was distributed. Theres more information on Great Lakes drowning statistics and how to keep yourself on the water, www.glsrp.org. Most deaths occurred on Saturdays, suggesting people were visiting beaches close to home, not away on holiday. 07/05/2018 Pioneer Press Water recreation can be fun, but also dangerous FRANKFORT While people turn to the water to get relief from the summer heat, it can also be dangerous, especially on Lake Michigan. Kyra swam towards Michigan Island, as her father and mother tried to flip the kayak, but it was too heavy. Less than 5 percent of people we surveyed know a drowning survival strategy like Float or Flip, Float, and Follow. Its about time, said Maria Rasch of Kenosha. This week Bradford Beach has been crammed as temperatures hit the 70s and 80s. Of course, residents are used to having lifeguards at the Washington Park beach. Certificates: 199; Diplomas: 156; Associate Degrees: 642; Total: 997; Note: Full-Year Equivalent (FYE) is defined as total student credit hours divided by 30. Most importantly, it can happen to anyone more than 50 percent of drowning victims are strong swimmers, according to the United States Coast Guard. The boat was found about two miles offshore, and police say there was no sign of any passengers. She was last listed in critical Condition Witnesses said they saw the person struggling in the water A jogger saw the rescue and administered CPR until paramedics arrived. According to statistics from the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, 23 people have died in Lake Erie between the start of the year and Aug. 19. Lifeguards are first responders and just as important as police and firefighters, he said Were a huge advocate for lifeguards. Knowing how to swim is not enough. Understanding how the pandemic directly and indirectly affecting beach drowning is an important lesson for beach management during a future public health emergency, the researchers said. When firefighters arrived, lifeguards had the man out of the water on a board, and firefighters assisted in carrying him over the wall and back to the beach, the report said. 2020 has broken the record for the most drownings in Lake Michigan, according to data What alarmed him most after reading the report was the type of watercraft used by the family. In August, a general management plan for the future of Holland State Park was released to the public. Also included in the initiatives is a new flag pole to display warning flags, extra rigging rope and life rings to throw to those in distress, water rescue goggles for emergency personnel, and a safety message that will be playing on loop on AM 1700. The greatest increase in drownings were in Lake Michigan with 37 deaths, an increase of 14 deaths over the historical average of 23. Its going to continue to be a leading cause of accidental death until we start to look at the bigger picture, said Benjamin. And it wont stop them as summer emerges. I could no longer swim. 03/28/2017 WSBT Lake Michigan drownings up 84% in 2016; 19 Great Lakes Water Safety presentations in 9 Michigan City schools this week, 03/27/2017 Northwest Indiana Times Lake Michigan was deadliest Great Lake last year Water Safety School Presentations this week in Michigan City, 03/26/2017 PR Great Lakes Drownings up 78% Last Year over 2015; Water safety presentations this week for Michigan City, 03/20/2017 UpNorthLive Increase in drownings brings high need for water safety education, 03/19/2017 PR 2016 Great Lakes Drownings increased 78% over 2015; Water Safety School Presentations this week in Benzie County, MI. Register by March 20for the early-bird rate of $49 ($59 after). Unfortunately, water safety and drowning survival is not common sense, he said. Its irresponsible and dangerous, and people die from it.. Learn to flip, float, follow: In a water emergency, the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project recommends that swimmers first flip over onto their back to float, then keeping the head above water, stay calm and follow the clearest path toward safety. But they feel in their hearts they made an impact. But the No. 07/12/2018 ABC Channel 10/13 Under Water: Searching for Air Pt. I want to get the word out and make this a wonderful turnout for this incredible deserving family.. But with high water levels and erosion leading to smaller beach fronts, many are packing in, leading to increased concern over water safety. The message is to Flip, Float and Follow in a water emergency. The group recognizes funding will be a challenge but it also looked to see which businesses and nonprofits, as well as elected officials, step up to help bring water safety to the fore. Its one of the mantras across the great lakes. The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, and will focus on gathering public feedback on the draft of the new general management plan. It has a volume of 2,900 cubic miles (12,000 cubic kilometers), making it the third most voluminous in the world. I corrected some of it in the brackets above.]. Once again Great Lakes drownings are on a record pace when compared to previous years, Benjamin said. If were looking at the beach here in Michigan City, Indiana, theres a lot less beach here than there was last year. A man was pulled from Lake Michigan on Friday morning near the 31st Street beach, but his cause of death hasnt yet been confirmed nor has he been identified. According to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, since 2010 there have been more than 750 Great Lakes drownings. 07/07/2019 ABC 7 Newsviews: Water Safety The weather has finally warmed up and maybe youve spent time at the beach this weekend. Benjamin says frequent winds from the north cause currents along the shore line. There are ways to keep you and your family safe. The family believes that he was wearing a lime green life jacket at the time of the incident. 07/12/2022 KENOSHA, WI PENNOYER PARK OUTLET CURRENT Samuel Euceda Ucles, M-5 shortly after 6 p.m. directly behind the Pennoyer Park band shell outdoor concert A boy was reported missing. In 2017, the GLSRP is tracking 88 Great Lakes drownings. The rule was coined by Gordon Giesbrecht, a Canadian physiologist who has studied the effects of extreme cold on the body. And now consider how often you play in water. The project advocates for people to use the Flip, Float and Follow method, which tells the person who is struggling to flip over, float on their back and to not fight against the current. Let that sink in and now truly understand that water safety is not common sense. In that moment, as I yelled out, I felt a peaceful calm come over me, Bokun recalled. Hypothermia will set in over the next hour. (We) came together and now we will have lifesaving devices (going up) on the north and the south piers, Jim Zondlak, a KSFCA board member and former president, said Wednesday. 05/29/2020 Chicago Tribune Column: Near-drowning experience prompts Hobart man to alert others to summertime hazard as beaches reopen. 06/07/2017 UpNorthLive Benzie County nurse, Barbara Smith, recognized as hometown health hero She was awarded for her water safety advocacy efforts at the State Capitol during public health week in April. It could be kayakers, people on paddleboards or other recreational activities. (Full Storyhere). Our visitors have come to expect lifeguards at Washington Park. It is argued that self-isolation fatigue resulted in large beach crowds, said Houser. 06/06/2018 CBS News of the Day Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project; Lake Michigan Water Safety Presentation in Ogden Dunes June 16th. "It was a moderately rough night," said Kravitz, who was on the water aboard the 25-foot . They were exploring the largely-intact wreck of the 200-foot ship the Wells Burt that went down in a storm in 1883 about 3-miles off-shore in about 40-feet of water. 07/26/2022 EAST CHICAGO, IN BOATING Dexter Trendell Sain, M-36, was found in Lake Michigan at Whihala Beach in Whiting around 4 p.m. Tuesday, 08/16/2022. Full statisticshere (74 drownings in 2010; 87 in 2011; 101 in 2012, 67 in 2013, 54 in 2014, 55 in 2015, 99 in 2016, and 88 to date in 2017). And several deaths each year occur when people are blown or washed off breakwaters, docks, cliffs and other similar nearshore structures. Eventually, the Coast Guard realized the calls were coming from Lake Superior. Water safety is really important, since 2010 theres been 559 fatal drownings on the five Great Lakes, typically almost half, 47%, happened on Lake Michigan and about half of those happen here at the south end of Lake Michigan so this is one of the most dangerous waters in the country, said Director of Education for Great Lakes surf rescue project, Bob Pratt. Rip currents are very serious and can pull you away from the beach., 06/30/2020 Northwest Indiana Times Practicing beach safety: Experts weigh in on how to protect yourself, kids during summer. These numbers go up almost daily, this time of year, said David Benjamin, co-founder and executive director. 07/15/2019 WZZM 13 Water safety advocates continue push to bring back lifeguards on Michigan beaches The drowning of a boy in South Haven has ignited the debate again if Michigan beaches need lifeguards. Its a panic attack in the water. 09/23/2020 Chicago Sun-Times Three other people have drowned this year in Monroe Harbor. Flip-float-follow is the stop-drop-and-roll of water safety, said Benjamin, with the emphasis on float. 11/18/2018 Parents Preventing Childhood Drowning Sunday Survival Story: Swim Near a Lifeguard! Water safety conference to address ways to improve safety, education and more Learn why drownings in the Great Lakes were up 78 percent last year and what you can do about it. 11/20/2020 Lake Superior Magazine Around the Circle This Week: November 20, 2020 Seasonal Corps Cautions: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers put out a release this week naming a few of the dangers to folks enjoying Great Lakes waters this time of year. Witnesses said the boy, a student at Indian Trail High School and Academy, was pulled under the water and surfaced twice, each time about 20 yards further away, before disappearing. Yet despite of an average of 33 drownings per year, very few Lake Michigan beaches have lifeguards watching the waves. It was the scariest thing, but Bokun told me after his family returned from Tennessee. Since 2010, there have been more than 850 drownings in the Great Lakes. Corporate Party Entertainment Ideas Denver Colorado 01/13/2020. They should have said something, a 10 year old was just pulled out of the water lifeless. The advocacy group reported 48 drownings in Lake Michigan in 2019, two of them in Michigan City and seven total in northwest Indiana, according to The Times of Northwest Indiana. He noted the city and the Corps already have a real estate agreement for the south pier of the harbor and might not need to do a new and separate one for the north pier. 08/27/2019 The Weather Channel Lake Michigans Deadly Waves Prompt Warnings for Swimmers and Boaters in Illinois and Michigan, 08/26/2019 Univision Revelan alarmantes cifras de muertes por ahogamiento en el lago Michigan Segn datos de Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, una organizacin que monitorea accidentes. Just keep your head above water and keep your chest at the water level. Signs at the park advise visitors to swim at their own risk. 04/12/2018 Dave Benjaminspeaks outat New Buffalo City Council Meeting Lifeguards save lives, are an asset, are first responders. The most recent Lake Michigan drowning involved 18-year-old Daniel McCarthy of Baldwin, who got caught in a current along with eight other swimmers, but never made it to shore. That day, Bokun returned to the familys rented home near Spencer, Tennessee, joining his wife, his daughter, Alissa Baron, and other family members. Note: * = (+/-) Awaiting 100% confirmation of drowning. For its broad reaching, solution-finding programs, for its willing Read more. of Lake Elmo, MN and Wascott, WI died January 4, 2023, in Regions Hospital in St . The organization doesnt track inner-water drownings, like on rivers. Weeks earlier, Catherine Winfield Butsch, a 12-year-old girl known as Caty, died after apparently suffering a medical event while swimming near Fort Erie, Ont. This, combined with warm weather, high water levels, and reduced local lifeguard resources, increased the risk of drowning.. Pratt says, more than 20 people in Michigan have died after drowning this year alone. As part of National Water Safety Month in May, the City of Michigan City and Michigan City Area Schools have collated together in an effort to prevent water emergencies. Beginning May 15, 2017, Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project (GLSRP) will be educating our youth on the necessity of Lakefront Safety. Monday afternoon, a swimmer was in critical condition after being rescued from Lake Michigan near the Loop. View local obituaries in montana. Great Lakes drownings are just the tip of the iceberg of the nationwide drowning crisis.. For more information on water safety, visit www.glsrp.org/water-safety/. 07/02/2020 Wood TV Family hopes memorial plaque reminds swimmers of Lake Michigan dangers. 08/24/2020 Chicago Sun-Times 2nd Bridgeview teen dies after being pulled from Lake Michigan in NW Indiana Yousef Saleh was among several people pulled from the Portage Lakefront Aug. 16.