  High Res Photo Warren Dune State Park, Michigan. Seven swimmers drowned in a three mile stretch of beach near the park on July 4, 2003. The popular beach draws thousands as seen in the photo taken on Sunday, August 2, 2004. See “High Res Photo” for more Warren State Dunes beachgoers. Photo Senior Chief Tom Rau Marathon swimmer offers life-saving advice On July 4, 2003 seven people drowned in one afternoon near Warren State Park, Michigan. Great Lakes marathon swimmer Jim Dreyer reflects on the drownings while offering life-saving advice. But first let’s review the conditions that led up to the downings. Mike Terrel, manager of Warren Dunes State park, estimated there were 20,000 park visitors that day and half appeared to be in the lake. “The drownings at the park occurred around 3:30 p.m.. Water conditions were such that we continued to fly the red warning flag and announce warnings over loud hailers every fifteen minutes,” said Terrel. When word first reached me regarding the drownings and after reading the National Weather Service message calling for severe weather, I concluded that heavy surf overpowered the victims. Not so. The drownings occurred in 3-4 foot swells, not heavy breaking surf, and long after the storm had rumbled over the dunes. Thousands of swimmers entered the water that day between New Buffalo and Manistee, Michigan, the north and south boundaries that the National Weather service set for the 9:15 a.m. EDT severe marine warning. Yet, oddly, along that 200 mile span, with thousands of swimmers in the lake, seven people drowned within a three mile stretch. Arguably, more people accessed the lake near Warren State park than did people from beaches to the north. With Chicago a short two hour drive away thousands could readily reach the pristine beaches near Warren State Park, apparently a popular destination for city folks. Five of the seven people that drowned, hailed from the windy city. So did the law of averages play out? Or was it city folks unaccustomed to rip-tides and currents that swept the lake that morning, stirring up truculent weather? Although sheer numbers, inexperience swimmers, and turbulent waters may have contributed to the downings, Jim Dryer feels there is more to it than these factors. I figured if anyone could provide insight into the seven drownings it would be Dreyer, who has swam across all the Great Lakes except Lake Superior, a swim he had to abort due to cold-induced leg cramps. I tracked him down at Orchard State Park, Manistee, Michigan in late September 2003. He graciously invited me into his home on wheels, a RV manned by a husband and wife team overseeing his Lake Michigan marathon swim. Three days earlier, while swimming between Little and Big Sable Points, he told me he confronted the worse Great Lakes conditions he ever encountered, including Lake Superior. “This lake can down anyone at any time,” he said. At one point during the swim, he was so far out into the lake that he spotted a large motor vessel between himself and shore. From atop 20-foot swells it was like looking out a second floor window. He told me, lake currents near the Manistee river outlet spun him around distorting his sense of direction. He swam to a nearby beach and fired off a flare to beckon his support team. I explained my reason for the visit. Aware of the drownings, he said, “If you’re not familiar with water, the tendency for humans when experiencing panic is to flee by standing vertical and running away. Unless conditioned otherwise, a person in the water will do what comes naturally and go vertical to flee danger. Doing so places their entire body broadside to the current. You must think horizontal when caught in a rip tide or current and swim or float on the surface to reduce current affect. And don’t panic.” “Don’t panic,” may sound glib coming from a swimmer in Dreyer’s class, but if anyone understood panic it’s Dreyer, who nearly drowned at age three after stumbling off a pier into a lake near his folk’s cottage in Byron Center, Mich. His near-death experience occurred in early spring; an older sister snatched him from the frigid water. The experience caused such a phobia of water that washing his hair would spark panic attacks. He didn’t begin swimming until 1996, at age 32. Eight years later, on October 7, 2003, he completed the 340-mile Lake Michigan swim at the base of the Mackinac Bridge in Mackinaw City. For Dreyer, Great Lakes marathon swimming offers an opportunity to promote a heart felt crusade—raising money for the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America mentoring program. Jim Dreyer can be considered a mentor in his own right, his wise advice regarding open water survival in currents and riptides can be summed up in two words: “think horizontal.” Other water-wise advice ► Do not swim alone. ► Have ready at hand a heaving line attached to a flotation device so you can toss it to a swimmer in distress. ► Parents should never take their eyes off the kids. ► Do not swim near breakwaters or piers. Under tows and wave backlash can overcome the best swimmer and jagged rocks that line breakwaters and piers can inflict lacerations, broken bones, and head injuries. ► Pay heed to red warning flags or pennants that warn of dangerous surf conditions. Watch the weather. ► Stay within designated swim areas. ► Many beach communities do not have beachguards so be prepared to take action-have ready a rescue plan. Carry a whistle to draw attention. ► Watch out for sandbars; they can abruptly drop off into deep water. ► Do not allow kids to float out into deep water on rubber rafts or inner tubes, especially in heavy surf. If they separate from the flotation device, they could find themselves in deep water. During August 2003, a mother nearly lost her 11-year-old daughter after she became separated from a three-man raft off a Ludington beach. If not for the heroic actions of a 16-year lad who fought through 4-foot seas to reach the floundering youth, the child would have drowned. ► If your child can’t swim have them wear a lifejacket when in the water ► Never turn your back on Lake Michigan, but if you do make sure someone is covering your back. Group
Grand Haven | USCG
Office of Boating Safety
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