Drownings in Lake Michigan are a statistical surety. A water safety school curriculum needs to be mandated and funded in the Great Lakes region as well as nationwide. 07/30/2019 ABC 57 Lake Michigan drownings are way up in 2019, 07/30/2019 Tri-County Times Drowning deaths up on Lake Michigan Swimmers and boaters on Great Lakes and inland lakes should heed caution from pop up storms and high winds, 07/30/2019 Click On Detroit Officials issue warning about massive uptick in Great Lakes drownings this year Drowning deaths on Lake Michigan up 80% this year, 07/30/2019 Herald Mail Media Lake Michigan drownings up 80% from this time last year, 07/30/2019 Fox 17 Lake Michigan drownings nearly double; on pace to be the deadliest year on the Great Lakes, 07/30/2019 Northwest Indiana Times Victim of state park drowning identified; incident believed accidental, 07/30/2019 Huron Daily Tribune Boaters rescue teen swept off pier into Lake Michigan, 07/30/2019 MLIVE Great Lakes drowning deaths increasing, Lake Michigan drownings have nearly doubled, 07/29/2019 News/Talk 94.9 WSJM Lake Michigan Drownings In 2019 Up Sharply From 2018, 07/29/2019 CBS 2 Chicago Drownings On The Rise In Lake Michigan, 07/29/2019 NBC 5 Chicago Local Experts Hope Water Safety Workshop Avoids More Lake Deaths, 07/28/2019 ABC 7 Chicago Lake Michigan drownings up 80 percent this year, water safety group says, 07/29/2019 WWJ Newsradio 950 Swim Warning Issued In Lake Michigan After 80 Percent Spike In Drownings Every weekend brings more cases, 07/29/2019 The Detroit News Great Lakes drownings on record pace again. The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project reports 20 people have already drowned so far this year. I could no longer swim. Pier Washoff Henry J. Stout, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 04/29/2018 WSBT Conference discusses ways to prevent drowning. My other prediction: There will be more drownings than usual in our nearest Great Lake. 07/04/2019 UpNorthLive GLSRP: 22 drownings in Great Lakes so far in 2019 GREAT LAKES (WPBN/WGTU) The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project (GLSRP) has released their statistics for the number of drownings in the Great Lakes for 2019. 09/07/2018 Kenosha News Search called off for teen presumed drowned in harbor With conditions worsening on Lake Michigan, the Kenosha Fire Department ended the search for a teen presumed drowned in Kenosha Harbor. And if youre drowning education comes from what youve seen on movies and television, you may miss the moment when your help is needed most. Drowning is swift, it doesnt look the way Hollywood portrays it, said Benjamin. I wouldnt venture out more than 150 feet in the kayak, Schmidt commented. He was pronounced dead at Bronson Hospital South Haven. 07/31/2017 The Journal Times Drowned teens life goal was to help people Water Safety Tips: Only one third of drownings that occur are due to dangerous currents, according to Dave Benjamin Executive Director of Public Relations for the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, a non-profit based in Illinois that educates school children about the dangers of water. Join the Great Lakes Water Safety Consortium for compelling presentations by and networking opportunities with experts in water safety, risk communication, lifeguarding, beach safety, and hazard mitigation. Its the time of year when thousands of you head to the beach. Warning people about the dangers in Lake Michigan. But the No. We are creating the illusion of providing a lifeguard service, which I dont think is fair to the community or to the beach users.. In all, 99 people have died so far in 2018 on the Great Lakes, tying 2012 and 2016 for the highest number of deaths on record, data from the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project shows. Ultimately, the children needed to be rescued. 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. OVERVIEW OF GREAT LAKES DROWNINGS 01/01/2010 12/31/2019, 74 drownings in 201088 in 201199 in 201267 in 201354 in 201455 in 201599 in 201688 in 2017117 in 201897to date in 2019838since 2010, 2019 = 97Lake Michigan = 48Lake Superior = 5Lake Huron = 8Lake Erie = 28Lake Ontario =8. Currents caused by wind or structures like piers can make swimming in the lakes dangerous. Now there are warning signs so people understand the dangers of rip currents.. Surveying of the water, whether we are open or closed for swimming, is standard operating procedure, Denecke said. He says it all boils down to this, respect the water and understand you need to be prepared for it. As an EMT and Lifeguard, he knows that drowning is preventable, especially in the sport of Stand Up Paddle Boarding. Please join us in enjoying them with care. According to the American Red Cross, 54 percent of Americans do not have the basic swimming abilities to save their own lives in a water emergency. 03/16/2017 Record Eagle Great Lakes Surf Rescue teaches safety to water-loving residents If stop, drop and roll can be accepted parts of childhood education, why not flip, float and follow? asks the founder and executive director of Great Lakes Surf Rescue. This year, two drowned. The first girl might have been OK, but the second girl definitely would not. Statistics at the organizations website show that 843 people have drowned in the Great Lakes since 2010, with 97 of them taking place last year. He went underwater and never resurfaced. Knowing how to swim is not enough; you need to know how to survive.. Help. Other beaches dont have that, she said, adding when unsafe conditions shut down swimming, swimmers sometimes go to an unguarded beach. He had a bad wipe out, fell on his back and had the wind knocked out of him. Im not unsympathetic. We couldnt go on at our current expenditures like nothing is wrong because we would have been out of money by July 15. We take the research, statistics and data and break it down, so beachgoers know its one of the leading causes of accidental deaths, which most people dont know, Benjamin said. That means there may be bacterial contamination. Children and adults should not engage in breath holding activities. Search Minnesota Obituaries. Benjamin said because the physical struggle often takes place under water, as the victims legs and arms climb a ladder or paw at the water, onlookers are often unaware the individual is in trouble. 06/26/2020 Grand Haven Tribune Swimmers, boaters asked to prepare before heading out on Lake Michigan Push for lifeguards on beaches. Unfortunately this societal point of view gives the public the false sense of security that It cant happen to me, and It cant happen to me because I wouldnt be that stupid, and You cant fix stupid, Benjamin said. 07/06/2020 The Weather Network How COVID-19 fatigue can lead to an increase in summer drownings, 07/04/2020 The Detroit News The nonprofit Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project reports there have been 20 Great Lakes drownings so far in 2020, and the numbers could climb in the summers warmest months as people fail to prepare for hazards such as rip currents, said executive director Dave Benjamin. Forsythe Jr. was attempting to bring a fish on to the boat when he lost his balance and entered the water. The kayakers were reported missing Thursday evening at Michigan . First, put on your personal flotation device and dress for the water temperature, which in Lake Erie Monday was about 38 degrees. Benjamin is a strong advocate for lifeguards, which most Lake Michigan beaches dont have. 11/18/2020 Fox TV 6 High water levels and wave events increase safety hazards on Great Lakes Many accidents and incidents near harbor structures occur during the turbulent weather season late in the year and higher than normal water levels pose an added threat. It was a deadly weekend on the Great Lakes, according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, an organization that tracks drownings on the Great Lakes. Many of these deaths happen when people swimming end up in dangerous currents such as rip or structural-caused currents. 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. Where. Kravitz described the conditions on Lake Superior as 6-foot rolling swells with winds out of the east. When youre panicking, its an emotional and an irrational response to the situation. Heres what to know before going for a swim, 07/22/2019 WNDU Warnings of Lake Michigan dangers come after swimming deaths, 07/22/2019 ABC 57 Mother creates petition to bring lifeguards back to South Haven, 07/22/2019 CBS 2 Chicago Lake Michigan Drownings Continue Despite Warnings, 07/22/2019 CBS 2 Chicago Chicago Weather: Beach Hazard Statement, Small Craft Advisory For Lake Michigan, 07/22/2019 Northwest Indiana Times UPDATE: Five fatal drownings at Lake Michigan beaches in the Region this year, officials say, 07/22/2019 ABC 57 An area lifeguard takes to Facebook to strongly warn of dangerous swimming, 07/21/2019 WGN Chicago Officials remind public about water safety after man drowns in Lake Michigan, 07/21/2019 NBC 5 Chicago After Recent Tragedies, CFD Officials Offer Water Safety Tips, 07/18/2019 MLIVE Toddler floats away on inflatable duck on Lake Michigan, bystanders rescue child, 07/18/2019 Detroit Free Press Bystander saves toddler who floats away on inflatable duck in Lake Michigan, 07/18/2019 Daily Mail UK Toddler is rescued by a boater on Lake Michigan after strong winds push his yellow inflatable duck away from shore, 07/18/2019 Inside Edition Toddler Sobs as He Drifts Out on Lake Michigan on Giant Duck Float, 07/17/2019 Holland Sentinel Red flags: [Not So] Well-known warning system at state park not always heeded, 07/17/2019 Good Morning America Boater helps rescue toddler stranded on inflatable duck, 07/17/2019 ABC 7 Chicago Kids learn water safety in junior lifeguard program in Wilmette, 07/17/2019 South Bend Tribune Toddler saved in Lake Michigan by nearby boater after winds carry inflatable. 06/07/2018 Post-Tribune Lifeguards train to save lives at Indiana Dunes On a windy day that caused the waves on Lake Michigan at Indiana Dunes State Park to be even more unpredictable than usual, Bob Pratt, Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project director of education, told the group of lifeguards that stood before him that they are going to train until they get it right. Two of the boys were Joshua Torres, 10, of Chicago, and Malik Freeman, 14, of Aurora, who were swimming in restricted areas at the same Indiana Dunes State Park beach. Every year in the United States there are over 4,000* fatal unintentional drownings, including boating-related drowning. The average temperature of the lake is 36 degrees. The . When you are struggling in water over your head we recommend you flip over on your back, float and then follow the safest path out of the water, Benjamin said. Earlier this week Newschannel 3 spoke with South Haven City Manager Brain Dissette. He owned a michelada mix business called MixChelada. 09/19/2019 WWMT New life jacket loaner station hopes to curb Lake Michigan drownings Safe Kids of Greater South Haven, led by Bronson South Haven Hospital, spearheaded the project. The number nearly doubled the previous year, and was the worst for drownings since 2012.08/05/2017 Northwest Indiana Times 7 ways to avoid drowning in Northwest Indiana, 08/05/2017 CBS 2 Chicago Hammond Woman, Kaitlynn Boswinkle, 24, Found Dead in Garys Marquette Beach.