At least 87 people have drowned in the Great Lakes this year, and more than half of the deaths have occurred in Lake Michigan, according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.

“Drowning is up there in mortality rates…but it’s not treated as a public health issue — which it is,” said Dave Benjamin, co-founder and executive director of the water safety group, which followed drownings in the region for over 10 years. “It is one of the leading causes of death from unintentional injuries worldwide. nationin the world. And that’s with a very poor drowning statistical database, so the problem is exponentially worse than anyone thinks.

More than 1,300 people have drowned in the Great Lakes since the Surfer Rescue Project began collecting data in 2010. The highest number of drownings occurred in 2018, when 117 deaths were recorded.

This year, at least 50 people have drowned in Lake Michigan. Since 2010, the group’s annual data indicates that about half of all annual drownings in Lake Michigan occur at its southern end, including the Illinois lakefront, which is considered particularly dangerous because North and northeast winds create large waves and strong currents. The densely populated shores of Lake Michigan cities, such as Chicago and Milwaukee, as well as popular tourist destinations on its many sandy beaches also contribute to higher drowning risks.

The deadliest year for Lake Michigan was 2020, when 56 people died along its shores as the pandemic limited opportunities for safe indoor fun. According to the Outdoor Industry Association, approximately 7.1 million more Americans enjoyed a outdoor activity in 2020 than in 2019.

At least 22 people have drowned on Illinois beaches this year. Most occurred on Chicago’s lakefront, beginning on April 16, when the police marine unit recovered a man’s body. near North Avenue Beach. Four of the 16 people who drowned in Chicago were found near 31st Street Beach, where two men died after being shot. out of the water in separate incidents in July just a day apart.

Only one death has been reported this year in the “Playpen” off Ohio Street Beach, a popular boating spot that has attracted attention in recent years for several tragic accidentsincluding one in which a woman’s feet were severed by a propeller in 2022. On September 11, a boat hit a breakwater in the park, resulting in two injuries; one person was last listed in serious condition, the other in critical condition.

So far in 2024, the U.S. Coast Guard Station Chicago has received 428 distress calls, resulting in 80 lives saved and 516 lives treated, according to U.S. Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan. The majority of these calls occurred between Memorial Day and September 30.

For water safety advocates like Benjamin, sounding the alarm that can lead to policy changes is arduous work that can take years. Last year, they pushed Illinois to pass a school code amendment requiring water safety education for students in kindergarten through sixth grade — which they are now trying to extend through 12th grade .

A bill enacted by Governor JB Pritzker in 2022, required all piers and access points along Lake Michigan to have safety equipment such as life buoys, at the request of a outcry after a drowning of a teenager at Rogers Park the previous summer. A new law took effect in Indiana this summer after a double water rescue at Porter Beach in Indiana Dunes State Park. At least four have died this year on northwest Indiana beaches, including two in the park.

Making rings to avoid drowning risks: State law requiring life vests is already saving lives

Other people who drowned in Chicago were found at Kathy Osterman Beach, Loyola Beach, Montrose Beach and 12th Street Beach. One of the last reported drownings this year occurred off Rainbow Beach on August 18, shortly before Labor Day, when the city closes its 26 miles of public beaches for the year swimming season. However, three more drownings occurred in October. Two of them were related to boating: one occurred when a boat capsized and the other involved a person jumping into the water.

“Water safety is a serious issue and the Chicago Park District prioritizes the well-being of everyone who visits our beaches,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “While the shores of Chicago Lake can be a source of pleasure, this natural body of water can present life-threatening dangers to even the most experienced swimmer.”

As the city’s largest provider of water recreation, the district implements various safety measures, including recruitment and training each year to staff the 22 official beaches with lifeguards who can serve as frontline first responders in an emergency.

August is normally the deadliest month, Benjamin said. Lake temperatures have warmed all summer, making it welcoming, but as cool fronts begin to bring northerly winds over the warm waters, strong waves and currents are created.

“More and more people go to the lake” in late summer, he said. “And they’re pushing their limits because they know it might be nine months before they get a chance to go back to the beach.”

There are currently no lifeguards at public beaches and swimming is not permitted until the next season begins on Memorial Day weekend.

“Every year we learn of the tragic deaths of people along the shores of Lake Michigan who may have underestimated the risk posed by swimming in the water. It is important to note that the vast majority of these tragedies occur in unauthorized swimming areas and in the absence of lifeguards,” the Park District said in the release.

Unauthorized swimming areas have prominent signage indicating that entry is prohibited and are equipped with life buoys to provide assistance if necessary.

Drownings also occurred this summer in the northern suburbs, including Evanston, Waukegan, Lake Forest And Illinois Beach State Park In Zion. There have been two fatal drownings and eight water rescue incidents along Beach Park this summer, according to local firefighters.

The surf rescue group has criticized a state-funded restoration project at Illinois Beach State Park because it increases the number of swimming hazards for beachgoers. Intended to protect the beach from erosion, the newly installed breakwaters force water to flow around them, creating stronger currents that can be difficult for swimmers to manage, Benjamin told the Lake County News-Sun last month.

Safety group denounces ‘model’ Beach State Park restoration project; “You just spent $73 million to increase water risks for your swimmers”

Just as money is being invested in restoring and protecting Great Lakes ecosystems and boosting the region’s economy, Benjamin said, states should also launch initiatives to protect people from drowning. Statewide databases, for example, would allow policymakers to begin to understand the scope of the problem.

He also decried the lack of funding for water safety education.

Increasing accessibility to swimming lessons can save lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reported that more than 4,500 people died annually following a drowning between 2020 and 2022.

The Park District offers aquatic programs, including swimming lessons at city park pools. More than 11,000 people registered for the Learn to Swim Program this year, according to the district, which is offering 10 weeks of free education to children ages 6 to 17.

Swimming lessons also need to be in-depth enough, Benjamin said.

“The public’s general idea is to blame the drowning victim, the parents or caregivers,” Benjamin said.

Just knowing how to swim doesn’t guarantee water safety in the lake, he said, especially for those who learned in pools, a more controlled environment. Even those who are confident in their swimming abilities, such as athletes and boaters, can drown if they are not trained for unpredictability. open water.

“(We) don’t inform people about the dangers,” he said. “It’s not really taught. They were never taught to float, nor to know about rip currents. … All they were taught was: freestyle, backstroke, butterfly, breaststroke, repeat – that was it.

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