GLSRP's Third Coast Ocean Force: 2011 Drowning Pace Surpasses 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 6, 2011

Contact:

Dave Benjamin Bob Pratt - Surfboard Rescue Techniques Instructor

Surfboard Rescue Class Organizer Fire Marshal & Water Rescue Expert

708-903-0166 East Lansing, MI

dpaulben@hotmail.com 517-256-4600

rpratt@cityofeastlansing.com

2011’s Drowning Pace Surpasses 2010

Water Safety is a Must!

Flip, Float, and Follow in a Rip & Know the Myths and Signs of Drowning

THE GREAT LAKES – According to statistics gathered by the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, in 2010 approximately 74 people drowned in the Great Lakes. Of those 74 deaths, 22 had occurred by July 4, 2010.

On Sunday, July 3, a five year old drowned at Covert Township Park, Covert, MI increasing the 2011 drowning’s to 23. [Drowning stats attached] (Headline: 5-year-old south suburban Chicago boy drowns at Covert Township Park http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/sw_mich/5-year-old-drowns-at-covert-twp-park)

“Keep your children at arm’s length when in and around the water,” said Bob Pratt, founder Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project and a fire marshal in East Lansing, MI. “It’s important to always supervise your children around any water activities.”

Could 2011 drowning’s exceed 2010? According to some Great Lakes surfers, the 4th of July is seen as the turning point of the summer where cooler winds over the lakes warmer waters can increase the frequency for wave conditions.

“It has always been the belief around this part of West Michigan that we usually get good waves within a few days either side of the fourth,” said Greystoke on the Third Coast Surf Shop’s online forum. “It really has worked out for the years I have kept a log of sessions.” (http://forum.thirdcoastsurfshop.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=11262&sid=a0d8d7551dee3321fcb0f100f5cebd26)

On July 1, Holland and Muskegon surfers reported “waist- to chest-high glass” with “clean lines” as the wind turned offshore.

“In two thousand ten, whenever there was surf to chase, there was drowning’s to read about in the papers,” said Dave Benjamin, Third Coast Ocean Force rip current awareness community project organizer. “Wherever there are waves, there are rip currents that increase the chance of drowning. It’s important to know what to do if you are ever caught in a rip current.”

On page 7 of the Michigan Sea Grant's "Upwelling" magazine (http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/upwellings/issues/pdf/11-801-Upwellings-June.pdf), a new campaign to help people remember how to escape rip currents was recently launched. Flip, Float, Follow are the three actions rip current specialist would like you to keep in mind (like stop, drop, and roll).

Flip over on your back;
Float instead of fighting the current; and
Follow the current until it weakens enough that you can swim out of it.

ABOUT THE GREAT LAKES SURF RESCUE PROJECT

Created by Bob Pratt, the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project is made up of Great Lakes surfers dedicated to reducing drowning incidents on the Great Lakes. Its “Surfboard Rescue Techniques” class is completing its pilot stage this summer with several classes throughout Michigan. Surfers have a long history of rescues along our coasts. As surfers we are often in the water when conditions are most dangerous: high surf and cold water. By educating surfers to the dangers of RIP currents and hypothermia we can reduce the likelihood of them becoming victims but more importantly, by educating them to use their surfboard as a rescue tool, more lives can be saved. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Great-Lakes-Surf-Rescue-Project/120501018657?sk=info

The “Surfboard Rescue Techniques” class will teach surfers and professional water rescue personnel to:

· Recognizing the danger of the surf environment and keeping personal safety as THE primary responsibility

· Understanding how, where, and why rip currents occur

· Identify a person in trouble from within a crowd

· Identify hazardous conditions

· Summon help

· Use a surfboard or boogie board to rescue a person in distress or in a rip current

· Rescue a swimmer in distress or in a rip current around a jetty or pier

· How to react when encountering swimmers who have suffered an injury

· How to react to an unconscious victim

· Encouraging surfers to enroll in lifesaving, first aid and CPR training from accredited agencies.

ABOUT THE “THIRD COAST OCEAN FORCE” Rip Current Awareness PSA

Because the Great Lakes are referred to as the “Third Coast” of the United States and the “Third Coast” can have “Ocean Force” rip currents during windy weather conditions – the Third Coast Ocean Force community project was created to:

Support the existence of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project’s efforts to educate surfers and other water rescue personnel to use surfboards as lifesaving devices;
Encourage lake surfers to obtain CPR Certificates and Life Guard Certificates;
Publicize instances where lake surfers or water rescue personnel rescued swimmers from rip currents/drowning;
Support a summer-long rip current awareness public relations campaign.

SURFBOARD RESCUE TECHNIQUES CLASS

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