GLIN==> Beware the Rip: Rip currents at the heart of multiple drownings this summer

[cid:3364380466_1265028]
August 11, 2010
Contact: Ron Kinnunen, Michigan Sea Grant Extension Educator
(906) 226-3687, email: kinnune1 at msu.edu

Deaths in Lakes Superior and Michigan Attributed to Rip Currents

 *   A recent rash of drownings sadly underscores the importance of rip current education

Marquette, Mich. - Four people drowned in Lake Superior on Thursday, August 5th. Two deaths occurred near Marquette and two near Grand Marais, Michigan. Despite warnings along beach areas, and rip current forecasts alerting those in the area about the potential for strong currents, four lives were lost.

In addition to the deaths along Lake Superior, there have been four deaths along Lake Michigan in a span of two weeks. Strong winds create high waves that are attractive to some swimmers and surfers but are extremely dangerous.

“Swimmers should not be out in the water with large waves,” said Ron Kinnunen, Sea Grant specialist based in Marquette, MI. “Even the strongest swimmer cannot fight a rip current. And there are a lot of areas where strong currents are dangerous regardless of the current weather.” It is important to note that many people have drowned while trying to rescue others caught in rip currents, such as the man who died while trying to save his 9-year-old son in Grand Haven.

“One of the best things to do is to check the forecast before you go to the beach,” said Kinnunen. Tune into the NOAA rip current forecast for beach areas on local news stations or check a NOAA website for the daily rip current risk, also known as the surf zone forecast. NOAA monitors both the wind and wave conditions, and posts the color-coded risk levels, with red meaning high risk. Rip currents can occur in areas of sand bars, jetties and piers.

 *   In the Marquette area, see: www.crh.noaa.gov/mqt/?n=rip_risk
 *   From South Haven north to Lundington area, see: www.crh.noaa.gov/grr/marine/surf
 *   Muskegon County, see: www.crh.noaa.gov/grr/marine/surf/?zone=MIZ050

Although police are investigating two deaths in southwest Michigan, local experts suspect that rip currents are a factor in these four deaths:
-       A man from Holland drowned while trying to save his son at a beach in Grand Haven, on July 23.
-       A 26-year-old man from Indiana died at Silver Beach in St. Joseph, MI, on July 25.
-       Two men from the Flint area drowned in Lake Michigan at a beach in Covert Township, South of Grand Haven, on August 5.

Outreach experts note that public information about this life-threatening issue is critical. Communities are encouraged to work together to purchase additional beach signs, using the free template from Michigan Sea Grant. Other efforts might include distributing brochures that include life-saving tips for vacationers, such as the one printed in the 2010 Grand Haven Visitor’s Guide. Community leaders and citizens can also encourage broadcast stations to point to the NOAA rip current forecasts.

Michigan Sea Grant has worked with many Michigan communities to install beach signs in locations along Lake Superior and Lake Michigan shorelines. However, there is a lot of shoreline to cover.  Kinnunen has worked with communities to install rescue stations with life-saving equipment (e.g., personal flotation devices, surf boards, and U.S. Coast Guard-approved throw bags) in some areas.

Sea Grant and the NOAA National Weather Service developed these important life-saving tips:

 *   Before you go to the beach, check the rip current forecast.
 *   If caught in a rip current, stay calm and do NOT fight the current.
 *   Swim perpendicular to the current to get out of it, then to shore.
 *   If you can’t escape, float or tread water, and call or wave for help.
 *   You can help a swimmer in trouble by calling 911, and throw something to them that floats, such as a life ring or a raft.

Resources:
www.miseagrant.umich.edu/rip
www.miseagrant.umich.edu/upwellings

Michigan Sea Grant helps to protect Michigan’s coastal, Great Lakes resources through education, research and outreach. A collaborative effort of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, Michigan Sea Grant is part of the NOAA-National Sea Grant network of more than 30 university-based programs. See: www.miseagrant.umich.edu

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