Lake Michigan Drownings Up 87 Percent In 2019

ACROSS ILLINOIS — Drownings in Lake Michigan have increased by a staggering 87 percent in just one year, the non-profit the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project reported over the weekend. As of Aug. 3, there have been 28 Lake Michigan drownings compared to 15 on the same date in 2018, according to the study.

The GLSRP reported a total of 54 drownings so far in 2019 throughout the Great Lakes, with half of those — 28 drowning deaths — happening in Lake Michigan.

Since 2010, the group has tracked 794 drownings in the Great Lakes.

In 2018, Lake Michigan was ranked as the "deadliest" Great Lake, with 42 reported drownings in Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan.

About 10 people drown every day in the United States, where drowning is the fifth-leading cause of unintentional injury death, according to the CDC. About one in five people who die from drowning are children age 14 and younger, and for every child who dies from drowning, another five are rescued, the agency said.

Related:

• Rescue Diver Delivers Closure, Comfort To Family Of Drowned Boy
• Drowning In Illinois: It Doesn't Look Like You Think
• Woman Dead, Husband Missing After Dive in Lake Michigan

Drowning is the second leading cause of death for kids under 14 years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Most child drownings happen in open water — lakes, rivers, ponds and oceans — and boys account for 80 percent of those fatalities, according to a 2018 study

>> Here are five tips for recognizing drowning