Unique waters create unique water safety challenges. The Great Lakes are tremendously different from typical standing bodies of water. They are great in size and greater in danger. In the past 2 years, 183 fatal drownings have occurred at the lakes.

The Great Lakes consist of five lakes that boarder eight U.S. states and one Canadian Province. They contain 21% of the world’s surface fresh water - enough water to cover the entire continental United States to a depth of 9 ½ feet.  The lakes have more than 10,000 miles of coastline; more than any state except Alaska.

Drowning risk runs high on the Great lakes for several reasons. Dense population and rip currents significantly contribute to the problem. The lakes lie between the 41^st and 48^th latitudes and are characterized by cold winters and hot summers. The typical swimming season runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Dave Benjamin, the executive director of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project explains, “When we have hot summer weather and north winds causing waves on the South End [of Lake Michigan], you can expect problems. There are thousands of people on the beaches mostly unaware of the risk of rip currents.  It’s a recipe for disaster.”  To make matters worse, in addition to treacherous conditions, the majority of Great Lakes Beaches are not protected by lifeguards. Lake Michigan accounts for nearly ½ of the drownings in the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project is a group that tracks Great Lakes drownings. With the help of data from the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, the Great Lakes regions are addressing drowning on three fronts using a similar approach to the Swim for Life “Safer 3” initiative:

• Safer Families include public education, such as swim lessons and rip current awareness.
• Safer Water includes rip current signs, beach flags and rescue equipment on the piers.  
• Safer Response covers lifeguard services and training laypersons to safely use existing rescue equipment.

Lisa Phillips, Executive Director of the Holland Community Aquatics Center in Michigan and AOAP member says, “Swim lessons provided to all school children Kindergarten through 5^th grade has helped to ensure the water safety of Holland residents. However, tourists don’t know the dangers of rip currents, so educating the greater population on water safety must take place.”

The Great Lakes can be enjoyable, fun and pristine. Similar to any body of water, however, the Great Lakes can also be perilous. The water safety challenges of the Great Lakes are as great as the lakes themselves. Thankfully, there are people all across the region working together to make the beaches greater and safer.