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The News Dispatch > News > Local > Arnold to propose rip current law
News > Local
Arnold to propose rip current law
If passed, legislation would make it illegal to enter water during warnings
By Lois Tomaszewski
Staff Writer
Published: Monday, December 24, 2012 7:52 AM CST
MICHIGAN CITY - Indiana State Senator Jim Arnold is drafting legislation that, if passed, will make it illegal to swim in Lake Michigan when rip current warnings are issued.
The legislation will be introduced in January and final revisions to the draft version of Arnold's bill are being reviewed by Michigan City Chief of Police Mark Swistek and Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District Police Chief Bob Byrd, who also serves as assistant coroner for Porter County. When these reviews are complete, Arnold said he will move ahead, introducing the bill and initiating a conversation with whatever committee the bill will be assigned to.
"Every year we lose a number of people in Lake Michigan because of rip currents," Arnold said.
According to the National Weather Service, which releases rip current warnings for the Great Lakes region, the Great Lakes average about 12 drownings per year due to rip currents, with a majority of these incidents occurring on Lake Michigan. Seventy-eight of these were fatalities and 230 were rescues.
In a 10-year period from 2002 to 2012, more than 308 rip current related incidents occurred on Lake Michigan, by far the most among the Great Lakes. Lake Erie and Lake Superior were second and third, respectively, with a combined total of 83 for the same 10-year period.
Lake Michigan is particularly prone to rip currents for several reasons, including high tourism rates on the eastern shore and the presence of man-made and natural barriers, such as sand bars and river mouths. Man-made structures such as breakwalls also contribute to the problem. Sixty-four percent of the 308 incidents reported from 2002 through 2012 occurred on a beach with a shoreline structure, according to a report on the NWS Web site.
There are also common weather patterns that occur over the lake which help create rip currents. Cold fronts, which bring strong onshore winds to the eastern shoreline, have the potential to produce the currents which create the rip current effect along the shore.
The legislation Arnold is proposing would provide enforcement of swimming bans on publicly or government owned beaches in Indiana. He is sure he has the support of law enforcement agencies, the U.S. Coast Guard and other rescue operations.
"Everyone seems to be on board," Arnold said. "These incidents tie up manpower from police, the Department of Natural Resources and other agencies...It costs exorbitant funds to conduct the search and rescue and the recovery operations."
The legislation, if passed, would go into affect when the National Weather Service issues rip current warnings for the Indiana shoreline. Signs, provided by the DNR, would be placed at the entrance to these public beaches explaining rip currents and the law. When these warnings are in effect, it would be against the law for anyone to enter the water.
While there already is a system in place to warn beach goers about dangerous conditions, there seems to be no way to prevent people from going into the water. During the boat races this summer in Michigan City, rip current warnings were out, but people still entered the water, resulting in a rescue of a teenager in very high waves and hazardous conditions.
"The whole purpose of this is to save lives and protect people who have shortcomings [with understanding how dangerous these conditions are]," Arnold said. "This law provides a way to enforce this. This is a public safety issue."
At Wednesday's Park Board meeting in Michigan City, Parks and Recreation Department Superintendent Jan Orlich told board members about Arnold's proposed law.
"I hope he puts some teeth into the law so our people can enforce it," board president Phil Freese said.
Arnold said he appreciated Byrd's efforts at driving this legislation. "I am indebted to him for bringing this to my attention and working with me on this," he said. "I lost my brother in 1979 to the lake. I feel strongly about this safety issue."
Oh, and hello to everyone
The News Dispatch > News > Local > Arnold to propose rip current law
News > Local
Arnold to propose rip current law
If passed, legislation would make it illegal to enter water during warnings
By Lois Tomaszewski
Staff Writer
Published: Monday, December 24, 2012 7:52 AM CST
MICHIGAN CITY - Indiana State Senator Jim Arnold is drafting legislation that, if passed, will make it illegal to swim in Lake Michigan when rip current warnings are issued.
The legislation will be introduced in January and final revisions to the draft version of Arnold's bill are being reviewed by Michigan City Chief of Police Mark Swistek and Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District Police Chief Bob Byrd, who also serves as assistant coroner for Porter County. When these reviews are complete, Arnold said he will move ahead, introducing the bill and initiating a conversation with whatever committee the bill will be assigned to.
"Every year we lose a number of people in Lake Michigan because of rip currents," Arnold said.
According to the National Weather Service, which releases rip current warnings for the Great Lakes region, the Great Lakes average about 12 drownings per year due to rip currents, with a majority of these incidents occurring on Lake Michigan. Seventy-eight of these were fatalities and 230 were rescues.
In a 10-year period from 2002 to 2012, more than 308 rip current related incidents occurred on Lake Michigan, by far the most among the Great Lakes. Lake Erie and Lake Superior were second and third, respectively, with a combined total of 83 for the same 10-year period.
Lake Michigan is particularly prone to rip currents for several reasons, including high tourism rates on the eastern shore and the presence of man-made and natural barriers, such as sand bars and river mouths. Man-made structures such as breakwalls also contribute to the problem. Sixty-four percent of the 308 incidents reported from 2002 through 2012 occurred on a beach with a shoreline structure, according to a report on the NWS Web site.
There are also common weather patterns that occur over the lake which help create rip currents. Cold fronts, which bring strong onshore winds to the eastern shoreline, have the potential to produce the currents which create the rip current effect along the shore.
The legislation Arnold is proposing would provide enforcement of swimming bans on publicly or government owned beaches in Indiana. He is sure he has the support of law enforcement agencies, the U.S. Coast Guard and other rescue operations.
"Everyone seems to be on board," Arnold said. "These incidents tie up manpower from police, the Department of Natural Resources and other agencies...It costs exorbitant funds to conduct the search and rescue and the recovery operations."
The legislation, if passed, would go into affect when the National Weather Service issues rip current warnings for the Indiana shoreline. Signs, provided by the DNR, would be placed at the entrance to these public beaches explaining rip currents and the law. When these warnings are in effect, it would be against the law for anyone to enter the water.
While there already is a system in place to warn beach goers about dangerous conditions, there seems to be no way to prevent people from going into the water. During the boat races this summer in Michigan City, rip current warnings were out, but people still entered the water, resulting in a rescue of a teenager in very high waves and hazardous conditions.
"The whole purpose of this is to save lives and protect people who have shortcomings [with understanding how dangerous these conditions are]," Arnold said. "This law provides a way to enforce this. This is a public safety issue."
At Wednesday's Park Board meeting in Michigan City, Parks and Recreation Department Superintendent Jan Orlich told board members about Arnold's proposed law.
"I hope he puts some teeth into the law so our people can enforce it," board president Phil Freese said.
Arnold said he appreciated Byrd's efforts at driving this legislation. "I am indebted to him for bringing this to my attention and working with me on this," he said. "I lost my brother in 1979 to the lake. I feel strongly about this safety issue."
Oh, and hello to everyone
