The weight of all five in the 13 ft. kayak was 442 pounds, just under its 500-poundcapacity. 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. Research by science dean Chris Houser and Masters student Brett Vlodarchyk found a significant increase in surf-related drownings on the Great Lakes this summer. Other drownings happen because of boating or kayaking accidents. Last year there were 97 drownings on the Great Lakes roughly half on Lake Michigan and a record 117 in 2018. Lifeguards make sense Common sense and financial sense, Benjamin said. The criteria for survival included five points: 1) resurfacing after falling into water over your head, 2) treading water for one minute, 3) spinning 360 degrees to spot an exit, 4) swimming 25 yards or length of the pool to get to that exit, and 5) climbing out of water without assistance. About 300 more presentations are scheduled this year, with 100 of those in Northwest Indiana, he said. Locally, since 2002, there have been 17 related deaths at Lake Michigan beaches from Sheboygan to Kenosha. Sadly, most of these drownings happen on our nearby pond, Lake Michigan. The water erosion and debris is out of control. Thats almost twice as many as I 2015. 04/04/2018 Northwest Indiana Times Water safety group to debut public safety announcement via Facebook Live The public service announcement has a focus on the Great Lakes, but is applicable to all bodies of water. Benjamin said he hopes to eradicate tragedy with the mantra: Flip, float, follow. There are ways to keep you and your family safe. Others on the boat were unfamiliar with its operation and were not able to get the boat turned around before Forsythe disappeared under the water. I started jogging a little bit to tell Malik to come closer, then I noticed his hand go up, then I started screaming cause I could tell he was in trouble at the time, she said. 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. Almost half of those drownings take place in Lake Michigan. Dave Benjamin, executive director of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, told me that the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk is a hazard for potential drownings. 05/01/2017 infoSuperior Statistics Show Spike in Lake Superior Drownings What if rescuers didnt have to enter the water? Sponsorship opportunities are also available. 11/05/2022 SHEFFIELD LAKE, OH northeast of the Domonkas Branch Library, 4125 Lake Road Evan Zeller, M-30, of Sheffield Lake Three individuals, a husband, wife and a friend were kayaking in Lake Erie when the husband took on the water and capsized. We need to make a cultural change, Benjamin said, to teach water safety skills early and often. 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 when the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the city in mid-March, the lifeguard issue fell off his radar. After three minutes in the water, a drowning victims heart stops. He says people dont realize that the lakes have dangerous waves and undercurrents, too. Lifeguards are trained to recognize the signs of drowning, which Benjamin said many people misunderstand. My other prediction: There will be more drownings than usual in our nearest Great Lake. 07/08/2018 WBEZ 91.5 Why Do Chicago Beaches Ban Flotation Devices? About 85 percent of them are men. There were 11 more drowning deaths than average in Lake Ontario this year and four more in Lake Huron. With summer weather here, people will be jumping into the potentially dangerous waters of Lake Michigan more often than in previous years, I predict. 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. Thats why they shut the beach down. 03/14/2018 MSU Great Lakes Water Safety 2018 Conference to address dangerous currents that continue to take lives April 26-27, Evanston, IL, 03/13/2018 NWI Times Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project educators stress water safety to kids, say specific techniques should be learned LAKE STATION Officials with the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project said schools today will conduct fire drills, tornado drills and active shooter drills, but there are no schools that conduct water safety education. Lake Ontario saw its own share of water-related tragedies this summer with at least three drownings in five weeks, including: In Hazels case, authorities said he was wearing a life jacket when his boat sank. It hasnt stopped visitors from swimming there this spring. In addition, the CDC states, for every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries. 07/31/2020 NWI Times UPDATE: 2 people drown, 1 still missing at Lake Michigan beaches as hazards statements were in effect, 07/31/2020 ABC 57 Recent Lake Michigan drownings reminder of rip current dangers, 07/31/2020 MLIVE Off-duty DNR officer saves swimmer in Lake Superior, 07/31/2020 NWI Times Lake Michigan beaches saw 1 drowning, 2 missing people as hazards statements were in effect. The beach also plans to have kayak and paddleboard rentals. . Part of the problem, according to Benjamin, is that people dont know what they dont know. The waves were 2 to 3 feet, he said, the current running north extremely hard.. Speakers from theGreat Lakes Sea Grant Network,National Weather Service,Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project,universities, and many others will share the latest science, techniques, and technologies. Using rescue boards, rescue cans, and rescue tubes, some 36 area lifeguards participated in [Monday and] Tuesdays training. 10/26/2020 Great Lakes Echo Is Lake Michigan the most dangerous Great Lake? 06/11/2017 PR Drownings continue to rise Lake Michigan leading the statistics Hot weekend, strong south winds can cause hazards Especially with beach toys GREAT LAKES, USA The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project (GLSRP) announces its current drowning statistics. Hiring full-time lifeguards is a significant, on-going budget commitment which is a challenge for lakeshore communities, Hawke noted. He was a football player for Mona Shores High School. The report states that so far in 2018 there have been 105 drownings. Caty was found unresponsive near Crescent Beach in the late afternoon of July 21. He has seen people who struggled to put one on after a kayak rolls over, but the lake just tears it away. Mike was an outstanding young man, great teammate, great student, and a great person, said head football coach Brian Foos. From shore, Freeman had been keeping a close eye on her kids in the water when she noticed they drifted down a bit. Consider how often do you play in fire? In any water emergency, the Great Lakes Surf and Rescue Project advocates a flip, float, follow strategy. The city doesnt have a policy in place for closing the beach on the weekend when the staff is off, and White said thats the situation they got into on Sunday with Young. He cited the cost of the body recovery for the U.S. Coast Guard, county dive teams, police departments, and fire departments, as well as the overtime and fuel for the helicopter and boats used in the recovery. The not-for-profit group says drowning numbers will go down as more people, especially children, are educated about the many aspects of water safety. Most deaths occurred on Saturdays, suggesting people were visiting beaches close to home, not away on holiday. Its not about you, and what answers you want to get, its about them telling their story.. I corrected some of it in the brackets above.]. There were a total of 10 distressed swimmer/near drowning calls Sunday along the Porter County shore of Lake Michigan, a statement from Ogden Dunes Police said. 08/01/2019 WWMT Lake Michigan drownings up 80% over last year, 08/01/2019 NBC 25 News Ascension Genesys Health Club explains rip current danger. 09/03/2020 NBC 5 Body Recovered From Monroe Harbor Four Days Into Search For Missing Boater The body is believed to be that of a 32-year-old man who fell off a boat Sunday evening in the harbor near the 400 block of East Monroe Street, police said. Ten deaths on Lake Superior were blamed on the storm; 66 died on Lake Michigan and 46 died on land in Minnesota, most of them duck hunters caught unprepared. Almost immediately. The training was led by the Great Lakes surf rescue project and the purpose of the training was to prevent deaths on the lake this summer. Przykutas body was recovered the next morning by the U.S. Coast Guard. 08/20/2018 WLS THEY SHOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING Maliks mother, Micah Freeman, said she did not know that a 10-year-old boy had been pulled from the water just an hour before her son went under. The training was conducted by the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project. 06/20/2020 NBC 5 Water Safety Concerns Are on the Rise as More People Head to Area Beaches. Zirkle has made it her mission to honor her sons memory and save people from the same tragedy through water safety education. The Michigan City Fire Department and La Porte County EMS were called to the park just after 4 p.m. on Sunday. For the first time in five years, lifeguards are not on duty at Atwater Park beach due to a shortage of lifeguard applications received by the Milwaukee County Parks Department. Water safety is not common sense, but people assume its common sense, Benjamin said. Preliminary data on fatalities which occurred in the surf zones across National Weather Service areas of forecast responsibility through January 31, 2023. I am so glad this had a good ending.The citys Fire Department, with the help of donations, raised money to buy the rings, ropes and cabinets; a $13,000 grant from ArcelorMittal to the citys Lakefront Safety Committee allowed them to proceed with the purchase, the News Dispatch reported. MOM SOLE SURVIVOR, PROVIDING DETAILS OF ACCIDENT. We bring back our summer 2017 conversation about Lake Michigan drownings with Dave Benjamin with the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project. (The Interview begins at 27:38), 06/05/2019 Southbend Tribune After loss of Lake Michigan kayaker: Look out for our brothers and sisters. Theyre first responders on the beach, Benjamin said. That explains why people take risks, such as swimming alone or beyond their physical capability, and why so often would-be rescuers become drowning victims, he said. GREAT LAKES, USA The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project (GLSRP) announces its current drowning statistics. But they feel in their hearts they made an impact. The beach was closed to the public Saturday evening and Sunday morning as the search resumed. Normally, Michigan City doesnt start their lifeguards until Memorial Day weekend, he said. He died the next day. The in-service training will focus on the worldwide drowning epidemic, how it relates to the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes dangerous currents, open water surf rescue techniques, and the latest water resuscitation CPR techniques (i.e. 07/10/2020 NBC 26 Green Bay STURGEON BAY (NBC 26) A non-profit group that tracks drownings on the Great Lakes is warning that the deadly four Ws are in play: Warm, Wind, Waves and Weekend. The Ashland County Sheriff tells Fox 9 his investigation should wrap up shortly and he expects very similar conclusions. Never. If a person doesnt have a life jacket they are going to die of drowning before they die of hypothermia, Benjamin said. The official page of the Douglas County. Year of death That day, Bokun returned to the familys rented home near Spencer, Tennessee, joining his wife, his daughter, Alissa Baron, and other family members. It has been a deadly summer on beaches along the Great Lakes, with significantly more drownings than in pre-COVID years, a pair of UWindsor researchers has found. He had a bad wipe out, fell on his back and had the wind knocked out of him. 11/24/2017 Petoskey News Preventing people from jumping from the pierheads on Lake Michigan is the best action to take. Its a big target for rescuers to see, especially a lime green kayak, Schmidt said. Pretty sweet, 04/18/2018 Harbor County News Dont balance budget on backs of swimmers, 04/14/2018 Southbend Tribune New Buffalo considers eliminating lifeguardsOfficial: Understaffing creates false sense of safety. The phase two plan covers at least the next decade of management strategies and upgrades that will help the Department of Natural Resources protect and preserve the parks natural and cultural resources as well as provide access to public recreation and education. 05/30/2017 My North Splash into Summer at the Sleeping Bear Dunes Water Adventure Expo. For the victim, Benjamin said, panic is the first stage of drowning. Examples like this are out there. 04/12/2018 WSBT No lifeguards this summer? Bob Pratt, one of the two people who runs the project says there have been at least 640 drownings on the Great Lakes since 2010. A cargo and passenger steam ship that suffered a number of maritime accidents before its final wreck into the Manitoba in Whirefish Bay. At the beaches in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, flotation devices are permitted but authorities caution their use for safety reasons during strong winds, specifically south winds, as they can push swimmers far into Lake Michigan., And at the many completely unguarded beaches throughout Michigans Harbor Country on the other side of the lake, swimmers can use flotation devices freely but at their own risk. According to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, on average almost half of all Great Lakes drownings happen in Lake Michigan. Superior is the coldest, deepest, and highest in elevation of any of the Great Lakes. They say they wouldnt be that parent or put themselves in that situation. This was the deadliest Labor Day Weekend since we started tracking statistics in 2010, said Dave Benjamin, executive director of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project. Hence, more drownings. The nonprofit annually tracks drownings in the Great Lakes and recently issued a warning about a summer spike in deaths. If people knew, they would be much safer and it would cause a huge decrease in drowning deaths.. People drown every year during red flag conditions and every year, the system proves to be a failure. Completed - Maintenance Temporarily Affecting UWindsor.ca, Tuesday, Feb, 21, 6 - 8 a.m. Wear a lifejacket especially while traveling on boats. 10/15/2020 Ludington Daily News Is Lake Michigan the most dangerous Great Lake? Jacob Breault, a rookie lifeguard with Indiana Dunes State Park, says the training will no doubt help him this summer. Eric Przykuta, a 43-year-old seventh-grade science teacher at Lancaster Middle School, died in an evening accident when the fishing boat he was riding in with two other men struck the breakwall near the Small Boat Harbor. So, instead of manning the lifeguard station, Swim At Your Own Risk signs will be installed, and the Michigan City Police Department will perform frequent beach patrols, he said. 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.