HOLLAND, MI (WHTC) – The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project has one goal. To save lives.
Bob Pratt of the Project told WHTC News that there have been 40 drownings throughout the Great Lakes this year, and 478 have been tracked by the group since 2010. Pratt says drownings are preventable. When they started tracking the drownings on the Great Lakes, they found that half of them happen in Lake Michigan with half at the southern half of Lake Michigan. Out of the nearly 500 drownings only four were wearing life jackets.
The early Sunday morning recovery of the body of 23-year-old Sheldon Benson of Coopersville in the waters off of Grand Haven followed that of 16-year-old Riley Hoeksema of Holland near Holland State Park on June 19th has the project concerned. In each situation, the victim was not wearing a life jacket and was apparently thrown from the vessel into choppy water that they couldn’t swim to safety.
When in a pool or at the beach Pratt says parental supervision is key and you need to be close enough to react to an emergency Pratt says. “People need to remember that the lake is not like a pool. The bottom is not always flat and the water can be very cold. If you have toddlers in the water you need to be at arm’s length for any kind of wave action.”
Pratt says drowning does not look like what you see in the movies or on tv. “Drowning is not a big loud long affair where they is waving and yelling. If the person lifts their arms they go under water and they can’t yell because they are gasping for air.”
Pratt not only shared lifesaving tips to avoid drowning but also tips for what to do if you find yourself in that situation called “Flip, Float and Follow” drowning survival strategy. Click here for the complete informative interview.
