It was the day after Christmas 2010. Dave Benjamin, a Great Lakes surfer, was winter surfing on Lake Michigan with some friends when he got into trouble. The leash to his surfboard failed, and he was out in the water, getting hit by wave after wave and was caught in a current. Water had breached his wetsuit. He was losing energy.
“I have been swimming in Lake Michigan all of my life,” said Benjamin. “All of that experience went out the window when panic set in. I came to a point where I was writing myself off. I came to the resolution that I’m not going home today.”
This lesson explores dangerous currents, including rip currents that commonly occur throughout the Great Lakes.
Objectives:
- Learn about the different types of dangerous currents and where they occur.
- Understand who is most at risk.
- Analyze data about rescues and deaths related to dangerous currents.
- Explain actions that will help prevent drowning.