GLSRP's Third Coast Ocean Force: Drownings on Par for 74

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 11, 2011

Contact:

The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project

Dave Benjamin, Class Organizer & Media Relations

708-903-0166

dpaulben@hotmail.com

http://david-benjamin.blogspot.com/

www.facebook.com/dave.benjamin

Great Lakes Drownings on Par of 2010 Course - 74

Stats to date: 52

GREAT LAKES, USA – The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project released its updated drowning stats for 2011, and unfortunately it’s been a very busy week and hitting par for the 2010 course. To date, there have been 52 Great Lakes drownings (eight of those drownings since August 1). As of August 11, 2010, there was 51 drownings to date. As of the same date 2011, there are 52 drownings (Plus one drowning survivor still recovering in the hospital as of 8/8/11 and one drowning victim in Lake St. Clair).

“The amount of drownings this year and last is unbelievable,” Dr. Rob Brander, posted on the Great Lakes ‘Third Coast Ocean Force’ FaceBook Group page. “It rivals what we have here in Australia.” (http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/thirdcoastoceanforce/)

“It's unbelievable seeing these updates almost daily. There must be a case for getting funding to put into beach safety education on the Great Lakes.”

Dr. Brander, a surf scientist and beach safety educator from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia was nicknamed ‘Dr. Rip’ courtesy of Bondi Lifeguards. His FaceBook page, “Dr. Rip Science of the Surf” offers some great rip current advice which could also apply to the Great Lakes (http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Dr-Rips-Science-of-the-Surf/233716154489).

According to Dr. Brander, the best thing to do if you see someone in a rip is to calm the victim down any way you can. Talk to them just to stay afloat. Remind them that rips won't pull them under. The key thing is that as long as they keep floating, they're alive. In the meantime try and get some help or a flotation device. There's a good chance that both the rescuer and rip current victim will float and follow the current to breaking waves and back to shore.

Dr. Brander grew up in Toronto one mile from Lake Ontario. He plans to be in Toronto summer 2012 and is considering writing a paper on the types of rip currents in the Great Lakes, where the drownings occur, and what are the water safety and public awareness challenges.

“Dr. Rip is the Michael Jordan of rip currents,” said Bob Pratt, Surfboard Rescue Techniques class instructor. “I am stoked and honored that this project has reached around the world to peak his interest.”

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Below are the updated stats:

2011Great Lakes Drownings

(52 as of 07/27/11)

(Info provided by the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project)

LAKE MICHIGAN:

1. Sat 1/1 Michael Hilling 19-M Chicago Retrieving object

2. Wed 2/2 Peter Davis 60-M Chicago Unknown

3. Mon 2/14 Casey Palmer 23-M Milwaukee Walk on ice

4. Fri 4/8 Sarah Goenne 61-M Chicago Fall from dock

5. Mon 4/11 Jane Doe 13-F Kenosha Pier Jump

6. Sun 5/22 Terrell Burton 19-M St. Joe Pier jump

7. Wed 6/8 Jorge Martinez 55-M Chicago swimming

8. Sun 6/19 John Doe 5-M Chicago Fall from pier

9. Fri 6/29 Steven Link 42-M Sheboygan WI Step-off

10. Sat 7/2 Timothy Judge 44-M Muskegon Scuba

11. Sun 7/3 Tyon McNeil 5-M Covert Unknown

12. Mon. 7/4 Chris Szmajlo 29-M Chicago Boating

13. Fri. 7/15 Jane Doe ?-F Racine Unknown

14. Fri. 7/15 Mark Tuthill 47-M Portage Step off

15. Sun 7/17 Marche Wilburn 6-F Gary Ind. Unknown

16. Sun 7/17 Mark Morley 51-M Charlevoix Sailing

17. Sun 7/17 Suzanne Bickel 41-F Charlevoix Sailing

18. Wed 7/27 Sharon Walsh 69-F Chicago unknown

19. Mon 8/1 Javier Rivera 19-M Chicago Swimming

20. Tues 8/2 Chandra Aravind 33-M Chicago Boating

21. Wed 8/3 Delilah Hope Perez 13-F Pentwater rip current

22. Sun 8/7 Martin Perez 8-M Mich. City rip current

23. Tues 8/9 Daniel Reed 46-M Saugatuk rip current

24. Tues 8/9 Bradley Stoner 22-M Saugatuk rip current

25. Wed 8/10 Brett Vanetten 20-M Well St. Beach, Gary rip current

LAKE ERIE

26. Sun 5/22 Donald Morrow 55-M East Harbor Fall from dock (etoh)

27. Tues 6/14 Susan Zatek 55-F Monroe Fishing

28. Tues 6/28 Zachary Wadding 18-M Ripley N.Y. Rip Current

29. Tues 6/28 Joselito Irizarry 30-M Edgewater Pier Jump

30. Sun 7/3 Daniel Abel 53-M Kelley’s Isle Boating

31. Thur. 7/20 Herman Teichroeb 24-M Port Burwell Swimming

32. Tues. 7/26 Aiden Nicoll 7-M Presque Isle rip current

33. Wed. 7/27 John Doe 27-M Presque Isle Swimming from boat

34. Sun 7/31 John Doe ??-M Kelleys Island Swimming from boat

35. Sun 7/31 Darylle Phoeur 17-M Avon Lake Rip Current

LAKE SUPERIOR:

36. Tues 6/7 Kevin Dammen 20-M Apostle Islands Kayaking

37. Mon 7/11 Monty Lyons 42-M Duluth unknown

LAKE ONTARIO:

38. Tues 1/4 Porter Simpson 7-M Niagara on the Lake Unknown

39. Sat 2/6 John Doe ?-M Toronto Unknown

40. Sat 6/25 John Doe 30’s-M Toronto Unknown

41. Sat 7/2 Jane Doe 50’s-F Toronto Unknown

42. Sun 7/17 Visu Vimalan 48-M Trenton Ont. Rip Current

43. Sun 7/17 John Doe 35-M Toronto Swim from boat

44. Sun 7/17 John Doe 29-M Wasaga Beach Ont. PWC

45. Tues 7/19 Uche Chuks’ 13-F Hamilton Ont. swimming from dock

46. Tues 7/26 Shaylean Richards 32-F Fair Haven rip current

47. Mon 8/1 John Doe 49-M Sandbanks rip current

LAKE HURON:

48. Sat 2/26 Robert Quesnelle 40-M Georgian Bay Snowmobiling

49. Mon 4/18 James McComb II 20-M Port Austin Wash from pier

50. Sun 7/24 Jason McLeod 20-M Port Franks Swimming

51. Sun 7/31 Jan Raczychi 49-F Tobermory Scuba

52. Mon 8/1 Donald Dorey 42-M Long Point unknown

LAKE ST. CLAIR:

53. Sat 4/23 Hassen Randel 37-M Black Creek Fishing (boat)

One Lake Michigan case pending; He did drown and survived. As of 8/8/2011, he still might be in hospital in serious to critical condition. Not sure? Hope he’s recovering well.

54. Mon 8-1 Mark Urness 53-M Frankfort rip current (CPR)

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ABOUT THE GREAT LAKES SURF RESCUE PROJECT

In 2010 approximately 74 people drowned in the Great Lakes primarily due to rip currents. The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project is made up of Great Lakes surfers dedicated to reducing drowning incidents on the Great Lakes. Surfers have a long history of rescues along our coasts. Surfers are often in the water when conditions are most dangerous: high surf and cold water.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Great-Lakes-Surf-Rescue-Project/120501018657?sk=info

The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project consists of two elements:

1. The “Surfboard Rescue Techniques” class;

2. The “Third Coast Ocean Force” Rip Current Awareness PSA Campaign.

1. “SURFBOARD RESCUE TECHNIQUES” CLASS

The “Surfboard Rescue Techniques” class is currently FREE and OPEN to the public – Friends, Family, Employees, Employers, Surfers, SUP’ers, Kayakers, Professional Water Rescue Personnel, Social Groups of People, etc.

Event Page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/home.php?sk=group_129564050452987

The “Surfboard Rescue Techniques” class will teach participants how to:

--Recognize the danger of the surf environment keeping personal safety as THE primary responsibility – Identifying hazardous conditions

--Understand rip currents; i.e. how, where, and why rip currents occur; How to survive rips;

--Know the “Signs of Drowning” – How to identify a person in trouble from within a crowd.

--Summon help

--Use a surfboard or other flotation device to rescue a person in distress or in a rip current

--React when encountering swimmers who have suffered an injury

--React to an unconscious victim

--Enroll in lifesaving, first aid and CPR training from accredited agencies.

2. “THIRD COAST OCEAN FORCE” RIP CURRENT PSA

The Great Lakes are sometimes referred to as the “Third Coast” of the United States and the “Third Coast” can have "Ocean Force" rip currents during windy weather conditions. Each Surfboard Rescue Techniques” class will provide an opportunity to cause rip current awareness through the classroom as well as media opportunities.

IN PARTNERSHIP OR SPONSORSHIP WITH: