According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in five people who die from drowning in the United States are children age 14 and younger. First off, life rings really do save lives. The report states that so far in 2018 there have been 105 drownings. Being in the water, practicing swimming and floating, helps, but learning the technique could be drilled into students in an auditorium. It is the biggest lake in the world (by surface area), so it will come as no surprise that it has been nicknamed "The Freshwater Sea.". 04/02/2020 NDPA Lifesaver of the Year Award Acceptance Speech, 01/13/2020 Up North Live Army Corps of Engineers: High water levels cause increase in Great Lakes hazards. CHAPLEAU, ONTARIO ~~~~~~ February 5, 2021 (LSN) On January 30, 2021, at approximately 6:30 a.m., members of the Superior East Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to a residence where a 35-year-old person was found unresponsive and was later pronounced deceased. Denis Fieldhouse - No Power at Stadium/Building Closed/Elevator out Service, Monday, February 27 at 5:00 p.m. to Friday, March 3, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. Joyce Entrepreneurship Centre - Power Line Repair, Monday, February 27, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. to February 28, 2023 at 12:00 a.m. UPDATE: Joyce Entrepreneurship Centre - Power Outage, Monday, February 27, 2023 from 2:00 p.m. to Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. Joyce Entrepreneurship Centre - Temporary Power Outage, Monday, February 27, 2023 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Chrysler Hall South - Signage Upgrades, Wednesday March 01, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Dave Benjamin, executive director of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, has been pushing for communities to use lifeguards on Great Lakes beaches. He was brought to shore where life-saving efforts were started and then transported in critical condition to Franciscan Health Michigan City hospital. Then, a Lake Superior limnologist shares new evidence suggesting that algae blooms can survive winter temperatures. 05/22/2019 Herald Palladium Water safety training on North Pier ST. JOSEPH The St. Joseph Department of Public Safety and the Berrien County Sheriffs Department will host a joint water safety event on the North Pier at Tiscornia Beach at noon Sunday. Tragic day on North Shore: 2 Wisconsin men drown in Lake Superior They didnt set any money aside in the budget for this summer or next. The City of Michigan City is committed to providing as many opportunities as possible for everyone to swim and learn water safety practices.. More Area Web sites BWCA/Boundary Waters Canoe Area Quetico Provincial Park North Shore Snowmobiling Guide . Surf Zone Fatalities in the United States in 2023: 3 To date this year, there have been 20 drownings on the Great Lakes, according to data from the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, a water safety advocacy group that tracks drownings. Monitoring for other issues also is key, he said. He said that according to the World Health Organization, drowning continues to be a neglected public health issue. I cannot stress enough that drowning really is a public health issue that needs to be treated like a public health issue, Dave Benjamin, Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project executive director, said last fall. 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. 08/02/2017 David OShaughnessy, M-? Hes still processing it. You have seconds to get to a person before they submerge, Benjamin aid. The average temperature of the lake is 36 degrees. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. 2022 Crime Stats. 06/06/2018 CBS News of the Day Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project; Lake Michigan Water Safety Presentation in Ogden Dunes June 16th. 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. So far in 2020, at least 17 other people have drowned in Lake Michigan, according to the Great Lake Surf Project, which tracks drownings. WBBMs Mike Krauser talks with Dave Benjamin, Executive Director at the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project about the risk of drowning and water safety. 04/23/2018 WNDU New Buffalo beach will keep lifeguards Mayor Lou ODonnell IV who said he thought the city was rushed into the idea of going guard less, and that the city should step back and look at this more carefully.After another summer of the status quo, the mayor said the subject should be revisited in the fall. Its better to watch waves and the water from a safe distance, than to risk losing it all. According to Cook County Medical Examiners office, the diver, David OShaughnessy, died of asphyxia. According to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project one hundred and two people have died so far in 2018. The beach was closed to the public Saturday evening and Sunday morning as the search resumed. Hawke said it would be great to have the funds to pay for lifeguards. But the experience has somehow changed him. 04/04/2019 Kenosha News Safety Around Water coalition plans May event. In addition, check local sandbar formations. Published: Mar. We heard a call come over the scanner that a man had fallen off the pier and hit his head, Michigan City Parks Superintendent Jeremy Kienitz said. 2022 Sudden Death Thunder Bay - Lake Superior News at 8:15 p.m., one operator was thrown into the water. The teens name has not yet been released. And float, Benjamin would add. Were not often playing with fire, but we are often playing in water, Benjamin said. The lifeguards at the state park are trained to watch for rip currents and shut down swimming if they spot them, she added. For the victim, Benjamin said, panic is the first stage of drowning. The initial lack of response was not concerning for Parry, he said, as it would be months until lifeguards would be needed. As states start to loosen shelter-in-place restrictions and the economy restarts, people want to get out, Benjamin said. That lake accounts for nearly half of all drownings each year in the Great Lakes, due to a unique combination of factors such as population, wave effects, piers and weather patterns. That day, Bokun returned to the familys rented home near Spencer, Tennessee, joining his wife, his daughter, Alissa Baron, and other family members. The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project reports there have already been 30 Great Lakes drownings this year and more than half of those were in Lake Michigan. Hazel and a companion were rescued by another fishing boat, but theyd been in the cold water for about two hours. Largest freshwater lake in the world, one inch of surface water is equal to 553 billion gallons. The indications are these incidents happen because the public isnt educated and neither are the politicians. Nearly 750 people have drowned in the Great Lakes since tracking began in 2010. Stay with any boat that overturned; its buoyant. Beaches There have been 27 drownings in Lake Michigan in 2019. It is believed he entered the water to retrieve a disabled remote-control boat he was operating. Warning people about the dangers in Lake Michigan. The man was also wearing jeans and black hiking-style running shoes/boots. Theres a huge disconnect. Director Dave Benjamin acknowledges the threat posed by meteotsunamis, but he said only one-third of the drownings in the region are caused by dangerous waves or currents. Last year there were 97 drownings on the Great Lakes roughly half on Lake Michigan and a record 117 in 2018. 08/18/2017 Detroit Free Press Great Lakes drownings reach 600 since 2010 While many folks in Michigan are turning their thoughts from summer days at the beach to backpacks and school supplies, there are still several weeks of warm weather for families to enjoy at the lake. However, he soon got into trouble as well. Cold water shock can cause an involuntary hyperventilation gasp reflex, so know the rules of hypothermia. Men are less likely to take safety precautions, Pratt said. You could also blame the heat. Floating can calm people down. The body has not yet been identified by the Cook County medical examiners office. And I didnt know that I didnt know would become the number one thing that we would hear from family and friends of drowning victims after a tragic event. The key is not panicking. 07/30/2019 CBS 2 Chicago Threat Of Dangerous Waves, Currents Prompts Warning About Beach Hazards, 07/30/2019 Holland Sentinel Police: Being a hero isnt always the safest bet during water rescues. 10/08/2022 BENZIE COUNTY, MI POINT BETSIE, FRANKFORT, MI Nick Walton,M-49 of Lansing, MI Died while competing in a downwind race to Peterson BEach. Williams was taken to Northwestern Hospital and was later pronounced dead before 9 p.m. 08/17/2022 CHICAGO DIVERSY HARBOR 2601 North Cannon Drive at about 5:02 a.m. Michael Davila, M-43 a long-time bartender and entrepreneur in Chicago. When I had given up my exhausted struggle to stay at the surface in the pounding waves, I luckily had enough float in my surfing wetsuit to stay at the surface and breathe I could float, breathe, overcome the panic and eventually float back to shore. 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. A person who is drowning is in panic mode and can push a lifeguard or other would-be rescuer under water. US records rising number of drownings in lakes, rivers and backyard If you dont get your breathing under control, youre not going to survive.. 07/10/2020 The Game 730 AM DANGEROUS SWIMMING CONDITIONS TODAY ON LAKE MICHIGAN, 07/10/2020 Northwest Indiana Times Beach swimming advisory extended into Saturday; storms to bring strong winds to Region, NWS says. The $4.6 million draft includes designing and constructing a new bathroom building, installing an automated parking notification system and making accessibility improvements. 09/13/2018 Kenosha News Life rings helping save lives in beach locations There should be no question that life rings are an important step toward public safety. Great Lakes drownings in WNY The seven drownings on Lake Erie and Lake Ontario combined is more than double the number of fatalities this decade. Series of errors in kayak accident that killed dad, 3 kids on Lake Superior No drownings were reported in Lake Superior, according to the GLSRP. A person easily can fall into hidden holes in shelf ice, with little chance of climbing out. 07/19/2019 HAMMOND, IN CRITICAL CONDITION BOAT DRIVER THROWN IN TO WATER two vessels that collided northwest of Hammond Marina on Lake Michigan. It was one of four drownings in 2018, putting officials under pressure to do something. The Buffalo sector of the U.S. Coast Guard reported, anecdotally, that it has seen more and more distress calls in the water in recent years. After 10 minutes underwater there is about a 14 percent revival rate, and most will be left with a traumatic brain injury, Benjamin said. And several deaths each year occur when people are blown or washed off breakwaters, docks, cliffs and other similar nearshore structures. Many piers, docks and portions of breakwaters may not be visible above the water surface due to high water and waves. That response time is why Benjamin strongly urges going to a beach where lifeguards are on duty. Schwertners body was found about 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10, behind rocks along the shore behind 12700 Lake Ave. 09/10/2022 ESSEX COUNTY, NEAR COLCHESTER MCCARTHY DRIVE Police received a report of a missing person on Saturday around 8:06 p.m. Investigation determined that the man was at the beach when a family member could not locate him. She called the Coast Guard and 911, but the calls kept dropping. . More articles followed in Sports Afield, Out-door Life, Field & Stream, School Arts, and other publications. 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. His companion survived. 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. There were 12 drownings in the Great Lakes over the holiday weekend, adding to the 91 total drownings that were recorded so far this year, according to a Tuesday news release from the organization.