In 2022, there were 45 drownings in Lake Michigan. A life-ring safety station could have been the difference between life and death for many of them.
The Lake Michigan Water Front Safety Initiative Encourage Residents To Advocate For Water Safety
Published: Tuesday, March 21, 2023 12:00 pm
By: Grace Opinker
“Drowning has been a neglected public health issue for a long time,” said Dave Benjamin, co-founder and director of GLSRP. “Life rings are one layer of water safety that haven’t been implemented, but should be across the Great Lakes.”
After advocating for water safety for over 12 years, Benjamin said things may finally improve.
Benjamin, Bob Pratt, Evelyn Hernandez and Lynn Jaynes are members of the newly formed Lake Michigan Water Front Safety Initiative–Indiana. The core of the group are family members of drowning victims. On Feb. 20, they traveled to Indiana’s statehouse to testify on behalf of the need for safety stations on all Lake Michigan beaches.
Each person’s testimony led the Senate Committee on Natural Resources to unanimously pass Senate Bill 424. If this bill is passed by the House of Representatives, it would require life ring stations to be placed on piers and at all public access points on Lake Michigan.
“We’re calling all of the local communities to show their support for the passing of this bill,” said Hernandez, a drowning survivor. “Drowning happens so fast that if someone is distressed, by the time the police show up the person may have already drowned.”
The implementation of safety stations are a small cost to save someone’s life Benjamin said. Upon the passing of bill 424, a minimum of 100 safety stations would be placed along Lake Michigan beaches.
“We are in desperate need,” Hernandez said. “Asking for the life rings is the minimum first step.”
In 2012, Hernandez and her boyfriend, Leonel Dominguez, were on an inflatable raft that was blown offshore by strong winds at Beverly Shores in Porter County. The couple drifted nearly 8 feet apart, struggling to stay afloat in the cold water.
“Him and I were good swimmers,” she said. “We were trying not to panic.”
Though bystanders witnessed the pair’s struggles, there was no safety equipment to pull them to shore. Hernandez felt a bystander grab her and pull her to safety, but Dominguez had already submerged. She was the only survivor.
“Leo was one year away from earning his nursing degree. My point is that these aren’t reckless people drowning,” she said. “This can happen to anyone.”
Each safety station would include a life ring, weather-proof case and durable rope that would be approximately 100 feet in length. Stations would likely be placed 100 feet apart on piers, at every public access point to Lake Michigan, or no more than a quarter mile apart at more remote locations. They would cost roughly $1,000 per installation and equipment.
During the statehouse testimony, Benjamin emphasized that over the past 12 years more than $100 million has been invested into beach restoration projects across Northwest Indiana from Hammond, Whiting, Gary and Portage, to Michigan City. In comparison, he said, investing approximately $100,000 on life rings is a small cost and a starting point for water safety on the Great Lakes.
“Now is the time to do something,” said Jaynes, a Chesterton resident. “Too many people are drowning in the Great Lakes and it’s practically in our backyard.”
Jaynes lost his friend, Tom Kennings, last summer at Porter Beach. Kennings, 38, noticed a teenage girl in the water who appeared to be in distress. He entered the water and managed to save the girl but had drowned doing so.
“Wherever there is swimming, we need the tools,” Jaynes said. “If we take action and work toward a common goal, we can have these safety stations up by May.”
Benjamin, Hernandez and Jaynes ask community members to contact Indiana’s state representatives as the bill moves onto the house for voting. If the bill is passed, local governments that own piers and lakefronts will be required to publish a report on lakefront drownings that occur within 50 feet of access points at least twice per year.
“We won’t stop with the life rings, we want education too,” Jaynes said. “Without good education some people may not realize how to use the life rings. Our ask is for people to support bill 424 and give our representatives a call.”
For more information on drowning statistics and safety tips, visit glsrp.org.
tags: Boating News, Boating Safety, Great Lakes, Lake Michigan
