Almost half of 87 Great Lakes drownings this year were in Lake Michigan

CHICAGO — At least 87 people drowned in the Great Lakes this year, and more than half of the deaths happened in Lake Michigan, according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.

“Drowning is way up there in fatality rates … but it doesn’t get treated like a public health issue — which it is,” said Dave Benjamin, co-founder and executive director of the water safety group, which has tracked drownings in the region for more than 10 years. “It’s one of the leading causes of unintentional injury-related death in the nation, in the world. And that’s with a very poor drowning statistic database, so the problem is exponentially worse than anybody even knows.”

More than 1,300 people have drowned in the Great Lakes since the surf rescue project started collecting data in 2010. The highest number of drownings occurred in 2018 when 117 deaths were recorded.

This year, at least 50 people have drowned in Lake Michigan. Since 2010, the group’s annual data indicates about half of all yearly drownings in Lake Michigan have happened on its south end — including Illinois’ lakefront — which is considered particularly dangerous because winds from the north and northeast create large waves and strong currents. The densely populated shores of Lake Michigan’s cities, like Chicago and Milwaukee, as well as the popular tourist destinations at its numerous sandy beaches also contribute to higher drowning risks.

The deadliest year for Lake Michigan was 2020 when 56 people died along its shores as the pandemic limited opportunities for safe entertainment indoors. According to the Outdoor Industry Association, around 7.1 million more Americans enjoyed an activity outside in 2020 than in 2019.

At least 22 people have drowned along Illinois beaches this year. Most happened on the Chicago lakefront, beginning as early as April 16 when the police marine unit recovered the body of a man near North Avenue Beach. Four of 16 people who drowned in Chicago were recovered near 31st Street Beach, where two men died after being pulled out of the water in separate July incidents only a day apart.

Only one death has been reported this year in the “Playpen” off Ohio Street Beach, a popular boating location that has attracted attention in recent years for several tragic accidents, including one in which a woman’s feet were severed by a propeller in 2022. On Sept. 11, a boat hit a breakwall in the Playpen resulting in two injuries; one person was last listed in serious condition, the other in critical condition.

So far in 2024, the U.S. Coast Guard Station Chicago has received 428 distress calls resulting in 80 lives saved and 516 lives assisted, according to the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan. The majority of those calls came between Memorial Day and Sept. 30.

For water safety advocates like Benjamin, sounding the alarm bells that can lead to policy changes is arduous work that can take years. Last year, they pushed for Illinois to pass an amendment to the school code requiring water safety education for students from prekindergarten through sixth grade — which they are now trying to extend through 12th grade.

A bill signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker in 2022 required all piers and access points along Lake Michigan to have safety equipment such as life rings available, prompted by an outcry after a teenager’s drowning in Rogers Park the previous summer. A new law went into effect in Indiana this summer after a double water rescue at Porter Beach in Indiana Dunes State Park. At least four died along northwest Indiana beaches this year, including two at the park.

Other people who drowned in Chicago were recovered from Kathy Osterman Beach, Loyola Beach, Montrose Beach and 12th Street Beach. One of the last reported drownings this year happened off Rainbow Beach on Aug. 18, shortly before Labor Day, when the city closes its 26 miles of public beaches for the year’s swim season. Still, three more drownings happened in October. Two of them were related to boating — one occurred when a vessel capsized and the other involved someone who jumped in the water.

“Water safety is a serious matter and the Chicago Park District prioritizes the well-being of everyone who visits our beaches,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “While Chicago’s lakefront can be a source of enjoyment, this natural body of water can present life-threatening hazards, even for the most experienced swimmer.”

As the largest provider of water recreation in the city, the district implements various safety measures, including recruitment and training each year to staff 22 official beaches with lifeguards who can serve as frontline first-responders in emergencies.

August is normally the deadliest month, Benjamin said. Lake temperatures have heated up all summer, which makes it inviting, but as cool fronts begin bringing in north winds over warm waters, strong waves and currents are created.

“More and more people are getting to the lakefront” at the end of the summer, he said. “And they’re pushing their limits because they know that it might be nine months before they get a chance to go back to the beach.”

No lifeguards currently staff any public beaches, and swimming is not permitted until the next season begins on Memorial Day weekend.

“Every year, we learn of tragic deaths of individuals along the Lake Michigan shoreline who may have underestimated the risk posed by taking a dip in the water. It is important to note, the vast majority of these tragedies occur within unsanctioned swimming areas and when lifeguards are not present,” the Park District said in the statement.

Non-sanctioned swim areas have prominently marked signage that indicates it is prohibited to enter the water there and are equipped with life rings to provide assistance if needed.

Drownings this summer also occurred in northern suburbs, including Evanston, Waukegan, Lake Forest and Illinois Beach State Park in Zion. There were two fatal drownings and eight water-rescue incidents along Beach Park this summer, according to local fire officials.

The surf rescue group has criticized a state-funded restoration project at Illinois Beach State Park for increasing the number of swimming hazards for beachgoers. Meant to protect the beach from erosion, newly installed breakwaters force water to flow around them, creating stronger currents that can be difficult for swimmers to deal with, Benjamin told the Lake County News-Sun last month.

Just as money is invested into restoring and protecting the Great Lakes ecosystems and boosting the region’s economy, Benjamin said, the states should also spearhead initiatives to protect people from drowning. Statewide databases, for instance, would allow decision-makers to begin understanding the magnitude of the problem.

He also decried a lack of funding for water safety education.

Increasing accessibility to swim lessons can save lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reported that over 4,500 people died annually from drowning between 2020 and 2022.

The Park District provides aquatic programming including swim lessons at park pools across the city. Over 11,000 people registered for the Learn to Swim Program this year, according to the district, which offers 10 weeks of free instruction to children ages 6 to 17.

Swimming lessons must also be sufficiently thorough, Benjamin said.

“The general notion from the public is to blame the victim for drowning, the parents or caregivers,” Benjamin said.

Simply knowing how to swim does not ensure water safety in the lake, he said, especially for those who have learned in pools, a more controlled environment. Even those who feel confident in their swimming abilities like athletes and boaters can drown if they are not trained for the unpredictability of open water.

“(We’re) not teaching people about the hazards,” he said. “That’s not really taught. They were never taught to float, never taught about rip currents. … All they were taught was: freestyle, backstroke, butterfly, breaststroke, repeat — that was it.”