Date: April 24, 2015
Contact: Bruce Rowe, 219-395-1609
Every year people drown while swimming in Lake Michigan. Join Dave Benjamin and Bob Pratt of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project on Saturday, May 16, at 1:00 pm for Swimming Safely - Understanding the Great Lakes Surf Environment. This one-hour program will be presented in the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center’s auditorium and is recommended for anyone who swims in Lake Michigan.
Participants will learn to recognize the dangers of the surf environment in Lake Michigan and understand why and where dangerous currents occur and how to survive them. They will also be taught how to utilize the “Flip, Float, & Follow” strategy to get out of dangerous lake currents. In addition, the signs of drowning” will be discussed, as well as, how to use a rescue device such as a throw ring, throw rope, or other items that float that may be found at the beach to rescue a person in distress or in a dangerous current.
The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, Inc. is a nonprofit chapter of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance that tracks Great Lakes drowning statistics and teaches “Great Lakes Water Safety” classes. They have taught classes for the general public, surfers, lifeguards, police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, water rescue team members, and dive team members.
The Indiana Dunes Visitor Center is located at 1215 N. State Road 49 just south of the intersection of 49 and U.S. 20 in Porter, Indiana. For more information about this program or other activities at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, contact the information desk at 219-395-1882 or check the park’s website at www.nps.gov/indu.
www.nps.gov/indu
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is part of the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 407 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.
