County Parks officials said funding for lifeguards is included in its budget request for next year, but it does not include McKinley Beach. If it comes from Traverse City (HH-60 Jayhawk), the cost is about $11,000 per hour. When judging the lake by surface area, this makes it the largest freshwater lake in the world. Lori Chapman, scriptwriter and editor for the video, was in the room for those difficult moments, as well. However, the Park District is still looking to hire more lifeguards. I cannot stress enough that drowning really is a public health issue that needs to be treated like a public health issue. (KMSP) - A Wisconsin DNR investigative report reveals a series of errors by the family who tipped their kayak in Lake Superior near Madeline Island in late August, leading to the deaths of the three children and their father. 07/25/2022 PORT BURWELL, ONT. Its better to watch waves and the water from a safe distance, than to risk losing it all. But according to Mulligan, safety concerns arent what a general management plan is designed to tackle. Of the 562 fatal drownings that weve reported since 2010, only 5 of them were wearing life jackets Thats less than 1%, says Pratt. 11/02/2018 Bridge Michigan Great Lakes drownings peaked in 2018. 08/06/2018 WZZM Tips for surviving a rip current in Lake Michigan Rip currents are quite common in the Great Lakes; here are some survival tips if you get caught in one. Being able to swim is not the same as being able to survive a drowning event, he said. But thats not what delivers the message of what is at stake. It has done classes in Duluth (in summer, seen here) and we just liked the Baywatch image on its open along with the good statistics on drownings and its safety tips. He said if the current forecast for Friday night to Sunday holds true, Lake Michigan will have high and turbulent surf, especially at the south end of the lake. 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. 05/17/2017 Chicago Sun-Times Balmy temps and frigid Lake Michigan a lethal mix Tianna Hollinside, 13, and Juan Cornelio, 23, may have never known what hit them before they joined the ranks of Chicagoans who died too young. The south sides (windward sides) of all piers will be the most turbulent and the dangerous spots on Lake Michigan., The GLSRP is tracking 49 Great Lakes drownings in 2019, 25 of which occurred in Lake Michigan. If you are headed to a Great Lakes shoreline to walk out on a breakwater, climb some nearshore rocks, or jog along a lakeshore path, its important to know what the predicted wave and wind patterns will be for the day. Weve made a pretty good effort to try and deal with it, Angeli added. I could no longer swim. So far in 2020, at least 10 people have drowned in Lake Michigan, according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project. It is believed he entered the water to retrieve a disabled remote-control boat he was operating. But according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, Lake Michigan has taken 31 lives this year alone, marking it one of the deadliest summers since 2010. If we can just control that panic and get people to calm down, theyre half way to being saved., 05/22/2020 News Dispatch Water safety activist says not having lifeguards will cost lives MICHIGAN CITY A decision to terminate the lifeguard program at Washington Park beach will cost lives, according to a man who tracks drownings on the Great Lakes. He was unresponsive and was aken to shore and then to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition. 04/12/2018 ABC 57 Open forum held to discuss the future of New Buffalo lifeguards We were given three minutes today to talk about the importance of lifeguards, only three minutes. Instead of lifeguards, he said, the beach would use existing flags and signs noting that visitors are swimming at their own risk. How can you tell if there are dangerous rip currents and what should we do if we are ever caught in one?07/08/2018 WLNS A look at safety on the water, following 4 drownings in Mid-Michigan this week. 06/05/2017 Lakeshore Public Radio Dont become another drowning statistic. According to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, since 2010 there have been more than 750 Great Lakes drownings. 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. There have been about 350 shipwrecks recorded in Lake Superior and Lake Superior is known to never give up her dead. A minute later, irreparable brain damage beings, [and at 10 minutes theres only a 14% survival rate]. Executive director of education, Bob Pratt says its like the stop, drop and roll of water safety. LAKE MICHIGAN =40 plus 4 critical orunknown condition, Lake Michigan Critical or Unknown Condition = 4, Lake Ontario Critical or Unknown Condition, LAKE MICHIGAN = 46 Plus 6 listed in Critical Condition, LAKE MICHIGAN6LastListed in CRITICAL CONDITION, 2012Great Lakes Drowning Statistics = 99; 260 since 2010, 2011Great Lakes Drowning Statistics = 87; 161 since 2010, 2010Great Lakes Drowning Statistics = 74433, 09/23/2020 MLIVE Lake Michigan Documentary The Deadliest Great Lake, Good Morning AmericaBoater helps rescue toddler stranded on inflatable duck, Inside EditionToddler Sobs as He Drifts Out on Lake Michigan on Giant Duck Float, NBC 5 ChicagoClose Call Caught on Cam on Lake Michigan After Toddler on Inflatable Duck Carried Away by Wind What began as a peaceful day at the lake in Michigan City, Indiana, quickly turned to panic Monday afternoon. At least 13 of this years drownings were in Michigan waters, the data show. 1875. This is a lot different than a pool. They didnt set any money aside in the budget for this summer or next. On Monday, July 15, 2019 a toddler was on an inflatable duck in Michigan City, Indiana that was blown out to open water by a side-offshore wind. Wooden tug. After searching more than 2,500 miles of the bottom of Lake Superior, the Atlanta a 172-foot schooner-barge that sank during a terrible storm has been found, preserved in the icy water just as it was when it went down more than 130 years ago. The police department tells Channel 3 Stout was trying to get from the pier to the lighthouse, and was most likely knocked off of the pier by a wave. On Friday, his body was found in Lake Superior in Fort William First Nation. The group also discussed ideas from staffing beaches with lifeguards to better signage indicating the dangers of swimming in dangerous areas, such as the Pike outlet, as well as flotation devices that could be placed in and around the piers. Stay with any boat that overturned; its buoyant. Everyone went into the water. Water safety is not common sense, yet most people assume it is common sense and that is one of the reasons why drowning continues to be a neglected public health issue.. 07/10/2020 Chicago Tribune Chicago Heights boy, 12, drowns in Lake Michigan during family visit to Gary. Experts said the distinctive shape of the lake, which is 307 miles long with parallel, uninterrupted shores running north to south, makes it susceptible to dangerous currents. 65 Great Lakes Drownings in 2018;24 of those in Lake Michigan, plus 1 last listed in Critical Condition. 05/30/2019 WWMT Data shows deadly year so far on Great Lakes 751 Great Lakes Drownings since 2010; 11 to date in 2019 GREAT LAKES, USA The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project (GLSRP) announces its current drowning statistics. One of the possible drownings being tracked this week is a South Bend man who is still missing after he disappeared off Porter Beach last weekend. While many victims who have fallen or jumped off these structures were said to have been very good swimmers, the reality of past statistics paint a sad picture. The deepest point in the lake is 405 metres or 1,333 feet. 07/07/2020 Cleveland U.S. Coast Guard saved 45 lives in Great Lakes over July 4 weekend busiest Independence Day weekend in at least five years, conducting more than 100 search-and-rescue cases and saving or assisting more than 300 people throughout the region. I think that was something that made the park run a lot smoother, Baughman said, adding people didnt understand why that section of the beach was closed. 05/21/2020 News Dispatch Budget woes, lack of applicants mean no lifeguards at Washington Park MICHIGAN CITY Visitors to the lakefront at Washington Park are advised to swim at their own risk this summer, as the city has not hired lifeguards for the season. The problem was the way the weight was distributed. 06/03/2019 Fox 6 Its about time: Life rings installed at North, South Pier in Kenosha after 4 drownings in 2018 KENOSHA Life rings were installed at Kenoshas North Pier and South Pier after four drownings in 2018, including a case involving a 17-year-old Indian Trail High School student. Unfortunately, a drowning person can climb all over you, and a drowning person can take you under, 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. Eric Fryman, 39, his two daughters, Kyra, 9, and Annaliese, 5, as well as his 3-year-old son, Jansen, drowned. 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. Drownings in Lake Michigan are a statistical surety. Salvino was last seen late Saturday night after leaving a party in Lincoln Park in the 2400 block of North Geneva Terrace, last making contact with a friend through FaceTime while walking back to his apartment at around 12:15 a.m. It doesnt do you any good if your life jacket just sits in the boat. 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. And now consider how often you play in water. 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. The meme was largely accurate in terms of the size of Lake Superior, and it wasn . Looking forward to the end of the year, our cash position to me is still concerning, Hoffmaster said. A person who is drowning is in panic mode and can push a lifeguard or other would-be rescuer under water. Natural factors could also add to the danger, he said. If you go to a beach and you see red flags flying and hundreds of people in the water, what message does that send? Benjamin said. They give the impression that they are able to protect people when they go into the water and thats not the case, said David Richards, city manager. He was brought to shore where life-saving efforts were started and then transported in critical condition to Franciscan Health Michigan City hospital. No time frame has been set for completing bathymetric contours of Lake Superior, though a 3 arc-second (~90 meter cell size) grid is available. 05/29/2020 Chicago Tribune Column: Near-drowning experience prompts Hobart man to alert others to summertime hazard as beaches reopen. It typically takes too long to get first responders to the scene of a possible drowning for them to perform an actual rescue, Benjamin said. Diehls body was recovered 07/14/2022. But Pratt says its possible the number is higher. There were 11 more drowning deaths than average in Lake Ontario this year and four more in Lake Huron. Or how many lives may have been saved. 07/12/2018 Kenosha News Safety Around Water: Be aware of dangerous currents, winds and cold water. 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. Dont swim where and when there are no lifeguards.. 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. Year of death From Madeline Island on a clear day, it looks tantalizingly close, but its nearly four miles away. Whats most import is the detection of the turning of events, White said. The eastern shore is particularly hazardous due to the prevailing wind direction leading to favorable current development. Dave Benjamin from Great Lakes Rescue Project explained that their organization is confident in labeling Lake Michigan as the deadliest. 06/30/2018-2 ABC 7 GLSRP at IL DNR Lake Michigan Water Trail Event at Winthrop Harbor Chicago Weather: Excessive Heat Warning in effect for area as heat wave continues Saturday. During the first 200 days of the Covid-19 pandemic in Poland, lower morbidity and mortality due to SARS-COV-2 infection were recorded in three regions covered by many small and large lakes (West Pomerania 5.8 deaths/100 000 population, Warmian and Masurian 7.6 deaths/100 000 population, Lubusz 7.3 deaths /100 000 population, compared . Eric Fryman, Cari Mews and their three young children arrived on Madeline Island for a long weekend at the end of August. The two kayakers who went missing in Lake Superior at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore have been identified as Troy resident Kimberly Aiello and David Delegato of Shelby Township. There is a lot of regret., 11/10/2017 Green Bay Press Gazette Blaming drowning victims is stupid, cruel. Listed as an accidental drowning. 08/20/2018 WWMT Officials warn public of dangerous water, swimming conditions, 08/20/2018 Chicago Tribune Number of kids drowning in Lake Michigan increases; dangerous conditions continue Tuesday, 08/20/2018 NWI Times Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project: 22 people have drowned in Lake Michigan this year as NWS forecasts life-threatening swim conditions. His body was found a few feets away . Since 2010, the GLSRP said there have been 762 drownings in the Great Lakes. Water safety is not common sense, but people assume its common sense, Benjamin said. From 2019 to 2020, the estimated age-adjusted death rate increased by 15.9%, from 715.2 to 828.7 deaths per 100,000 population. 07/07/2019 ABC 7 Newsviews: Water Safety The weather has finally warmed up and maybe youve spent time at the beach this weekend. 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. Its kind of the perfect storm for Great Lakes drownings, said Dave Benjamin, executive director of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project. When you are on your back try to cough to get the water out and calm yourself down. Benjamin said flotation is the key only five out of 589 reported Great Lakes drowning victims wore life jackets. 07/31/2017 WBEZ Public Radio The GLSRPs Dave Benjamin was be on WBEZs Morning Shift, 91.5 FM, Monday to discuss the current Great Lakes drowning statistics and Great Lakes Water Safety with host, Jenn White. The week included presentations about water safety by David Benjamin from the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project at Unified high schools and middle schools. He thought about his wife, Elise, his children, his granddaughter, and even his unborn grandchildren he hopes to enjoy someday. And those who do survive will likely have brain damage. A green flag means there are no swim restrictions, and the water quality is good. Drowning Data. GLSRP is a non-profit group that tracks drowning statistics and performs presentations and training around the Midwest. Since 2010, 631 people have drowned in the five Great Lakes; and 295 of those drowned in Lake Michigan. Sometime before 4p.m. the weather turned, the water became rocky and the kayak began to take on water. Overall since 2010, the GLSRP has tracked 740 Great Lakes drownings. The park had three drownings last year. His office is researching a warning system that records wind and wave activity and could set off an alarm or strobe light when its too dangerous to be in the water. 06/18/2018 WNDU Lifeguards get summer training for beach season, 06/17/2018 WSBT 22 Lake Michigan beaches work to reduce drownings, 06/15/2018 WNDU Officials prepare for busy Fathers Day weekend at Lake Michigan beaches, 06/09/2018 Video GLSRP Open Water Surf Lifeguarding In-service, 06/08/2018 NBC 5 Authorities Warn of Dangers to Lake Michigan Swimmers. Crews recovered his body around 9:45 p.m. Tuesday at Ludington State Park. 1. Many deaths in the Great Lakes happen off of these structures, he said, pointing to the pier, and last summer was probably one of the roughest in a few years. 07/07/2020 WBBM News Radio 780 Swimmer In Critical Condition After Being Pulled From Lake Michigan Near Grant Park. Its time to stop talking about it and just do it, Benjamin added. The GLSRP recorded 117 in 2018, 07/26/2019 Cleveland 19 Officials warning swimmers of dangers in Lake Erie; 2019 could set record for drownings, 07/26/2019 WZZM ABC 13 NWS warns beachgoers of dangerous swimming conditions Saturday We strongly advise NOT going into the water., 07/26/2019 Detroit News Beware boaters and swimmers: High winds on Great Lakes this weekend Dave Benjamin, executive director of public relations and project management for the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, said looking at the warm weekend, southerly winds can cause offshore wind conditions for southeast Michigan. He says New Buffalo beach is unique because of the jetties and the boat channel. 10/15/2020 Ludington Daily News Is Lake Michigan the most dangerous Great Lake? 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. As the winds travel farther north, the winds may also create waves and dangerous currents such as longshore currents, rip currents, and structural currents. Yet despite of an average of 33 drownings per year, very few Lake Michigan beaches have lifeguards watching the waves. 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. National Drowning Prevention Alliance Lifesaver of the Year Award 2012 & 2020 Community Lifesaver Award 2016 & 2018, 45 of those in Lake Michigan (+6 unknown), (Last updated 12/31/2022, 11:59 p.m. CST), 74 drownings in 201088 in 201199 in 201267 in 201354 in 201455 in 201599 in 201688 in 2017117 in 201897in 2019108 in 2020101 in 2021108 to date in 20221,156 since 2010, 2022 = 108 (+12 unknown final outcome)Lake Michigan = 45 (+6 unknown final outcome or Cause of death)Lake Superior = 6Lake Huron = 12 (+1 unknown final outcome)Lake Erie = 24 (+4 unknown final outcome or cause of death)Lake Ontario = 21 (+1 unknown cause of death), LAKE MICHIGAN = 45 (+6 Unknown Condition or unknown cause of death), 07/12/2022 GARY, IN MARQUETTE PARK SWIMMING WAVES 2 TO 4 Tianna Hatten, F-9 Visitors were able to pull one of the girls from the water at Garys Marquette Beach but the other remained underwater until a Lake County Sheriffs Department helicopter located her in the water and directed responders to her location. Tolle died shortly after 1 p.m. Monday. (Read my previous column on Indiana Dunes State Park beach last weekend as an example.). 07/26/2019 Fox 17 Lake Michigan drownings up 58% over last year As officials continue to search for a missing father who drowned at Ludington State Park, a group is urging safety on the water this weekend. I never thought of any of that before jumping into the water, Bokun said. 04/04/2017 Stand Up Paddle the World Radio Bob Pratt is serious about drowning, very serious. 07/19/2022 SAUGATUCK, MI OVAL BEACH Lucie Ann Hoyt, F-78 bystanders had jumped in, pulling the woman out of the water and performing CPR. The south sides (windward sides) of all piers will be the most turbulent and dangerous spots on Lake Michigan.. As of Tuesday, the GLSRP had confirmed 91 drownings in the Great Lakes this year, including 31 on Lake Michigan. Its going to continue to be a leading cause of accidental death until we start to look at the bigger picture, said Benjamin. More Area Web sites BWCA/Boundary Waters Canoe Area Quetico Provincial Park North Shore Snowmobiling Guide . Running a helicopter out of its summer birth in Muskegon (HH-65 Dolphin) costs about $10,000 per hour. 09/29/2020 Parent Security #childsafetytips | Lake Michigan communities and drowning Does your coastal town have a lifeguard on duty? This year, 48 people have drowned in the Great Lakes.