The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project presented a Lake Erie water safety program at Madison High School. This event, which took place on April 1, provided students with tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of drowning. The featured speaker was Dave Benjamin, who is co-founder and executive director of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project. This nonprofit entity strives to prevent drownings by conducting Great Lakes water safety presentations. Benjamin, during his visit to Madison High School, spoke in four consecutive 40-minute sessions in which he separately addressed freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. Madison High School freshmen listen as Dave Benjamin, co-founder and executive director of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, speaks during an assembly on April 1. Benjamin talked about drowning prevention and awareness during four consecutive 40-minute sessions. He separately addressed the school’s freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. (Bill DeBus – The News-Herald) He told students that it was nearly 12 years ago when Madison School District mourned the death of a student who drowned. Jermaine Zirkle, who was 13 years old and a student at Madison Middle School, drowned in Lake Erie in July 2013. He had been swimming at his family’s private beach in Saybrook Township, located in Ashtabula County, when he got caught in a Lake Erie rip current. Although Jermaine tried to swim out of it, he eventually went under the water and wasn’t seen again until his body was recovered four days later. “Jermaine was young, he was athletic, he knew how to swim, but he just didn’t know what to do in a drowning incident, and unfortunately, he did not survive,” Benjamin said, during his first session on April 1, when he addressed freshmen. He added that one common misconception is that if a person knows how to swim, they can’t drown. However, he explained that if an experienced swimmer gets into trouble and begins to panic, he or she could be at risk of drowning. Panic is considered the first stage of drowning, he said. And in a moment of panic during a major incident in the water, all of a person’s experience as a swimmer can “go out the window,” he added. Benjamin said the information he would be presenting on drowning awareness and prevention was “simple and easy to understand.” “It’s just not widely taught yet,” he said. As an example, he said the proper steps for someone to take if they are in deep water and start to struggle are: “Flip, float and follow.” He said the person in distress should first flip over onto his or her back and float. While floating, the person should keep their head above water, don’t panic and conserve energy. Next, the person needs to follow the safest course to safety: • Do not fight the current. • Follow the current to assess which way it’s flowing. • Swim perpendicular to the flow. If a person is too tired to swim, they’re advised to continue floating and try to signal for help. People also need to know that drowning doesn’t look it’s portrayed many times on TV shows and in movies. Typical signs of drowning include: • The person in distress is facing the shore. • The person’s mouth is at water level. • Their head is tilted back and their body is vertical. • The person might be doing a “climbing ladder” motion as they struggle to stay afloat. If a person not trained as a lifeguard sees someone who appears to be drowning, it’s best for them not to enter the water and attempt to assist the individual. “Would-be rescuers often become drowning victims,” Benjamin said. He said the safer approach is to throw a life ring or other flotation device to the person that is in distress. “But don’t get in the water to make a rescue (without being properly trained) because it’s a very, very dangerous situation,” he said. Madison High School freshmen Bryson Cruz said Benjamin offered a lot of useful information to students on how to prevent drownings. He said Benjamin’s recommendation to swim on beaches or at pools where lifeguards are on duty was a wise idea. Madison High School  Principal Tom Brady said he already was familiar with the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project because it conducted some  presentations when he formerly served as principal at Madison Middle School. Brady said the organization offers information that’s important to students at all grade levels. “We live close to Lake Erie and a lot of kids have pools,” he said. “They need to know about water safety and how to survive and how to save other people. So the presentations are a great educational tool.” Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project also compiles Great Lakes drowning statistics and performs in-service training for open-water surf lifeguards and first responders. ...read more read less