Water Safety Event Opens Eyes to Dangers of Lake Michigan

Organizers were pleased with the outcomes at a water safety class set up by a committee that formed in light of tragic drownings off Port Washington's shores in 2012.

"The weather was perfect. We had about 70 people attend the classroom session at the Legion, followed by about 35 people for the beach session, and there were about a dozen of us that donned wetsuits for the in-water instruction," said Becki Perez, of the Port Washington Waterfront Safety Advisory Committee. "I thought it was very well-attended for a summer Sunday (June 23) morning!"

The event was open to the public and lead by the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project — an organization that formed with the "single goal" of saving lives, according to its website. The group teaches a "flip, float and follow" strategy for surviving when stuck in currents, as well as other life-saving tips such as recognizing when someone is drowning.

"Many participants were clearly shocked when they learned about all the dangers Lake Michigan can pose from long shore currents, structural currents and rip currents," Perez said. "Many were clearly shaken when slides were shown of what drowning truly looks like compared to the Hollywood version of arms waving in the air and shouting for help."

The event had a lot of support from local and other businesses, including:

• John's Pizzeria and Dockside Deli, who donated dinner and breakfast for the Instructors.  
• Wal-Mart, Sentry, and Smith Brothers Coffee House, who together, provided coffee, fruit, donuts and water during the classroom session.  
• Aurora Healthcare provided cloth totes that we filled with donated items from Cabela's and Ozaukee County Emergency Management.  
• EOS from Sheboygan provided free wetsuit rentals.
• The Legion donated the space.
• The DNR and YMCA set up informational tables, and Cub Scout pack 3837 sold brats and hamburgers.