LAKE MICHIGAN — With about 100 drownings occurring on the Great Lakes every year, local advocates and state lawmakers are working to keep children safe on the water this summer through education and legislation.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, drowning is the second leading cause for accidental deaths in children between 5 and 14.
"Unfortunately, this time of year I start seeing heartbreak story after heartbreak story where if they just had some simple public information, they might have avoided the incident," said Dave Benjamin, Great Lakes Surf and Rescue Project co-founder.
Statistics from the Great Lakes Surf and Rescue Project show 91 people drowned in the Great Lakes just last year, 51 were in Lake Michigan.
Advocates are working to educate kids, pushing for legislation that would require Michigan students to learn about water safety.
Middle school students in Spring Lake Thursday recently heard from long-time Grand Haven resident and advocate Vicki Cech. She is the mother of Andy Fox, a high school senior who drowned in a rip current in 2003.
"No one should go through this, this has been 21 years with Andy and it's still emotional to talk about him," said Cech.
Since her son's passing, Vicki has been working with groups like the Great Lakes Surf and Rescue Project, teaching kids about water safety.
"I feel like even by me being there it makes an impact that they do see a mom who has lost a child. It's not just a video that they're watching," said Cech.
Benjamin says stories like Vicki's show how great the need is for water safety education.
"Water safety education is way behind, not just in Michigan or the Great Lakes region, but nationwide and world wide…We believe that a water safety school curriculum would be the fastest approach to reach the largest audience in the shortest amount of time that would have the maximum impact," said Benjamin.
Cech hopes her story will teach kids the importance of water safety and that the effort at the Capitol will end up in the curriculum by next fall.
"We need to teach them, they need to be taught what's going on so these kids don't end up like Andy and don't come home to their family again," said Cech.
Two versions of the bills were recently introduced in the state House and Senate. While the bills are in the early stages, advocates are optimistic they'll get passed.
The bill was recently introduced in the Senate and is still in the early stages, but the bill sponsor is feeling optimistic about getting it passed.
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