The length of the lighhouse pier in Michigan City is equipped with life rings sinside hard plastic caves spaced about 100 yards apart. Indiana lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to legislation requiring all municipalities adjacent to Lake Michigan install them and other rescue equipment at each pier and public access point in the lake no later than July 1, 2024. Photo by Stan Maddux
Lake Michigan beaches in Northwest Indiana should be a bit safer this summer after life rings and similar equipment to prevent drownings are installed at each pier and public access point along the shoreline.
Hoosier lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to legislation requiring each municipality located adjacent to Lake Michigan to make available for public use high-quality, easily visible water safety and rescue devices no later than July 1.
Senate Enrolled Act 253 passed the Senate, 44-0, after clearing the House by a 95-0 margin Tuesday. Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb is expected to sign it into law in coming days.
State Sen. Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton, who championed the measure for several legislative sessions, acknowledged that some Region communities already have life rings and other rescue equipment readily available near their portion of Lake Michigan.
But Pol said a state mandate will ensure the deployment is consistent along the entire shoreline, the equipment is maintained, and make it easier to gather accurate, comprehensive data on Lake Michigan drownings.
"Having life-saving equipment that is easily visible and accessible can make the difference of life or death. Seconds matter when a rip current sweeps a person into the water or when a person loses the ability to stay above water," Pol said.
"Let's give our beach goers every tool possible to make sure their nice day at the beach does not turn into a tragedy."
The legislation provides no state funding for the equipment. But Pol said the estimated $100,000 total expense for Northwest Indiana local governments to install life rings at approximately 104 public access sites pales in comparison to the half-million dollars or more likely to be spent by federal, state and local first responders each time a person goes missing in the lake.
Records maintained by the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project show at least six fatal drownings occurred in 2023 in the Indiana portion of Lake Michigan, out of 39 total deaths last year on Lake Michigan.
Dave Benjamin, surf project executive director, said Lake Michigan visitors frequently underestimate the danger of the rip current in the lake and sometimes end up endangering their lives before even realizing they're in trouble.
With rescue equipment nearby, Benjamin said these potential tragedies can be easily averted as they've often been in Chicago since Illinois adopted a Lake Michigan life ring requirement in 2022.
"This bill is long overdue. Lives of swimmers and would-be rescuers will be saved by this," Benjamin said. "The family members of drowning victims that we work with have all said the same thing to us, 'How can we prevent this from happening to someone else?' This is the first step to publicly addressing drowning — a nationwide and global neglected public health issue."
In addition to Pol, the legislation was cosponsored by, among others: state Sens. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores; Dan Dernulc, R-Highland; Dave Vinzant, D-Hobart; and Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago; and state Reps. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie; Mike Andrade, D-Munster; Chuck Moseley, D-Portage; and Pat Boy, D-Michigan City.
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