A kayaker on Lake Michigan off the Kenosha harbor had to be rescued by the Coast Guard after taking on water early Saturday afternoon.
Initial reports put the kayaker about two miles offshore. Pleasant Prairie and Somers fire departments, as well as the county dive team were among units joining Kenosha emergency responders called to assist before the Coast Guard rescued the victim.
The kayaker was towed back to safety. No injuries were reported.
No additional details were immediately available.
Tips for a Great, , Safe Summer. Staying safe in the summer heat just takes a little forethought. These six tips will help everyone have a great summer. 1, Use sunscreen consistently. A sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 is recommended. When out in the sun for long stretches, makes sure to re-apply every couple of hours. 2, Pay attention to kids and pets in hot cars. Exit routines that include making sure the car is empty and you've got command of your keys go a long way in keeping your little ones safe. 3, Don't forget about ticks. Insects are the last thing anyone is thinking about right now. But they're still out there so make sure to apply bug spray when in tick-infested areas. 3, Be mindful around pools and bodies of water. Swim lessons for kids and CPR certification are great safeguards to keep summer joyful and fun. 5, Drink lots of hydrating fluids. Sugary or alcoholic beverages dehydrate the body, so make sure you've got plenty of water on hand as well. 6, Stay cool. Kids are especially susceptible to heat stroke. Light clothes, a spray bottle and access to shade help to ensure safety on a hot summer day
What do you do when you're drowning? 4 water safety tips from the experts
More common than you think
Dave Benjamin teaches a water safety class to summer campers Tuesday, June 18, 2019 at Gillson Park in Wilmette. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/TNS)
Dave Benjamin, co-founder and executive director of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, usually starts his water safety classes by talking about fire. “What do you do in case of a fire emergency?” He normally asks the crowd of children. “Stop, drop and roll,” they say.
“What do you do if you’re drowning?” More often than not, the kids stay silent.
“Now, how often do you play in fire?” He asks. Heads shake. “And how often do you play in water?” For many children and teens, the answer to this last question is: Every. Single. Summer.
Drowning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is responsible for more deaths among children age 1 to 4 than all other causes except birth defects. For children age 1 to 14, drowning remains the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths, just behind motor vehicle crashes. Water safety, Benjamin (pictured speaking) said, “is not common sense.” Even the most advanced swimmers could be at risk.
A precautionary tale
Kathy and John Kocher hold a family photo of their son Matthew Kocher, who drowned in 2013, on Tuesday, June 18, 2019 at Gillson Park in Wilmette. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/TNS)
On July 27, 2013, 15-year-old Matthew Kocher was away from home on a camp trip to New Buffalo City Beach in New Buffalo, Michigan, earning community service hours for school. While standing in the shallow Lake Michigan waters, Kocher got caught in a rip current.
“We were basically pool people, like most people,” John Kocher (pictured in orange), Matthew’s father, said.
Matthew had little experience in open water. Kocher suspects his son and several other people in his camp group, were unaware that the waving red flags on the beach signaled hazardous water condition
The Matthew Kocher Foundation
John Kocher speaks about his son, Matthew, who drowned in 2013 before Dave Benjamin (rear) teaches a water safety class to summer campers Tuesday, June 18, 2019 at Gillson Park in Wilmette. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/TNS)
After Matthew’s funeral, John and his wife, Kathy, set up a foundation in their son’s name. They have since partnered with Benjamin and the GLSRP to sponsor more than 300 water safety talks in Illinois.
The following are the water safety tips they hope will save a life.
“We would have told Matt about this. Matt would have listened,” John said. “He was that kind of kid.”
1. Know before you go
“Check the weather reports, check the wave reports and check for a rip-current warning. See if any flags are up,” Kocher said.
All of this information can be found on the National Weather Service’s website weather.gov. It is updated each day with watches, warnings and other advisories.
When at a beach, red flags signal hazardous conditions that would make swimming more dangerous. Yellow flags indicate rough but non-life threatening water conditions and green flags signal normal conditions.
2. Keep an eye on your child
Whether at the beach or pool, the National Drowning Prevention Alliance suggests parents designate a water watcher or water guardian.
“Even if you are with a group of people, have one adult whose main responsibility is to keep an eye on the kids in the water,” Adam Katchmarchi, the executive director of NDPA said.
Lifeguards should be additional, rather than sole supervisors.
3. Flip, float, follow
In a water emergency, GLSRP recommends swimmers flip, float and follow.
First flip over onto your back to float. Keep your head above the water, remain calm and conserve energy.
If in open water with a current, swim perpendicular to its flow, parallel to the shore, until you reach an area free of the current. If you see someone who appears to be drowning, toss a flotation device into the water then alert lifeguards.
4. Learn to swim
Swimming is an essential skill. However, 64% of African American children, 45% of Hispanic children and 40% of white children cannot swim.
This statistic becomes even more harrowing when it is revealed that of all nonswimming children, 87% plan to visit a beach or pool at least once during the summer.
