1. Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project
Bob Pratt
Dave Benjamin

2. How We Began:

3. Old Traditions
New Technology

4. 2 MAIN GOALS
Quantify the
scope of the
problem.
Train people to
recognize and
respond to drowning
incidents.

5. The Great Lakes
5 Lakes
8 States
2 Countries
10,000 Miles of
shoreline.
21% of the worlds fresh
water.

6. Preliminary Research
Nationwide:
~35 per year (Gensini and Ashley 2009)
>100 per year (U.S.L.A.)
~150 per year (Lushine 1991)
Great Lakes:
~8 per year (Guenther 2008)
~33 per year (Guenther 2010)
There is universal agreement in need for
further research.

7. Problems With Data Collection
Terminology: drowning, near-drowning,
rip current, rip tide, undertow, tombolo.
Cause of Death: ICD-10 codes.

8. Until we get a universal definition of terminology,
accurate meteorological data and until we get ICD
codes with better parameters; we will not have truly
‘scientific’ data.
The media is only a starting point but maybe the best
and most accurate source we have at this time.

9. RESULTS
2010 2011
75 Total Drownings 87 Total Drownings
38 in Lake Michigan 50.6% 42 in Lake Michigan 48.2%
32 ‘rip currents’ 42.6% 19 ‘Rip Currents’ 21.8%
Clearly there is a significant problem. We
cannot wait until the scientific community
quantifies the problem more accurately or
agrees on the ‘real’ scope of the issue.

10. WHERE TO START?
We do not need to wait for the scientists to
agree, nor do we need to reinvent the wheel.

11. Similarities
The Fire Problem: 5th The Drowning Problem: 4th
Leading Cause of Death. Leading Cause of Death.
Solutions
• Education • Education
• Code Enforcement • Engineering
• Emergency Response • Emergency Response

12. The
DIFFERENCE?
The fire service has thousands of full-time and volunteer
advocates in a well established, highly organized and well
funded network. Most Fire Departments have a whole
division devoted to fire prevention activities. We visit schools,
hold picnics and teach kids to “Stop, Drop & Roll”.
We need to get organized, networked and FUNDED.

13. WHERE TO START?
"Begin at the beginning," the King said, gravely, "and go on till
you come to the end; then stop."
- Alice in Wonderland

14. WHY SURFERS?
Surfers have a floatation device.
Surfers have thermal protection.
Surfers are comfortable in big waves.
Surfers are often in the ‘right place’ at the
‘right time’.

15. Topics
• What Drowning Looks Like
– I.D.R.
– Distressed Swimmer
• Rip Current Dynamics
– Wind
– Waves
– Seiche
• Basic Rescue Techniques
– Board Based
– Shore Based
• Spinal Injury
• Triangulation

16. Instinctive Drowning Response
Vertical in Water Head Back Mouth Open
NO WAVING NO YELLING NO SPLASHING
YOU HAVE 20-60 SECONDS
TO SAVE THIS PERSON

17. Distressed Swimmers
• More Horizontal in water
• Slow forward progress
• Arms (may) clear the water in weak
attempt at swimming strokes.
• Maybe able to yell or wave.
• Much more likely to be rescued, but at any
point may become a drowning victim.

18. Firefighters in oil spill

19. Your victim may not be able to
yell but others may…

20. RIP CURRENT DYNAMICS
Water always seeks
the path of least
resistance. Once a
cut in a sandbar
begins it becomes
the focus of a
channel of water.
Along piers and
breakwalls; water
piles up and
channels out along
the structure.

21. Pier Rip Currents
• A seiche may compound the problem.
• Great Lakes rip currents also form at piers and jetties.
• These rips can extend well past the structure.
• Victims who jump or are swept off piers maybe caught in these rips.

22. A seiche (pronounced “saysh”) is the rocking motion of
water in a lake or similarly closed or partially closed
water body. Scientists call the pendulum-like
movements within seiches “free standing-wave
oscillations.” Seiches, are almost always present on the
Great Lakes.

23. RESCUE
• Surf rescue is dangerous
• Equip yourself with:
– Knowledge
• Your Ability
• Your Equipment
• Your Environment
 911 capability
 Rescue equipment
– Common sense
When in doubt don’t go out

24. Board Techniques
Approach the victim from the side, slide off Grasp their hand and bring it to the rail about mid-
the board and keep it between you and the board…
victim…
Flip the board again, this should position them more or
Flip the board once so their hand is on one less on the middle of the board…
rail and their armpit on the other…[Make sure their
face doesn’t smack the board]

25. Short Board Techniques
Try to get the board under them by submerging the
board under or dragging the victim over the board.
Hang off the back, balance & keep from pearling.
All boards are different experiment with your board before an emergency.

26. No board?
No problem
• REACH
• THROW
• ROW
• TOW
• GO
Many ordinary objects can be used to make shore
based rescues. Give the victim something that
floats, calm them down and CALL 911

27. Throw bags and
Ring Buoys
• Secure the end
• Throw past the victim.

28. Last Seen Point & Triangulating
Finding our place in the line-
up: out at the lighthouse lined
up with the white house.

29. SPINAL
INJURIES
Anatomy & physiology:
The SPINAL CORD is the
nerve tissue that runs
down the middle of the
VERTEBRA (the bones).

30. SPINAL
INJURY
• Spinal injuries can be caused a number of ways: like striking
the bottom or a submerged object. They may also be caused by
hitting the water or being hit with a surfboard (your own or
someone else's).
• Caring for spinal cord injuries takes special training. Unless
absolutely necessary (to save their life) do not move the victim.
• If they must be moved keep head, neck and torso in one plane:
move as a unit.

31. Artificial respiration / CPR
Drowning victims often
need to be resuscitated
after rescue. Learn how to
do CPR from the Red
Cross, American Heart
Association or other
training agencies.
Classes are cheap and easy.

32. Lessons Learned
Need for Better Statistics
Need to Research Rip Currents
Need for More Education
Need for Broad Collaboration
Need to Remember:
Cultural Shifts Take Time and Commitment

33. Questions or Comments?

34. Bob Pratt Dave Benjamin
1551 Greenview Ave. 3544 213th Place
East Lansing, MI 48823 Matteson, IL 60443
(517) 643-2553 (708) 903-0166
water-ratt@comcast.net dpaulben@hotmail.com
www.ripcurrentsafety.com