Picture by: Don King
After a fun day at the beach turned into a desperate rescue mission earlier this month, Sanilac County citizen Don King has been on a mission: make the local break walls and piers safer. However, that task is easier said than done.
King was with his family on the break wall at the Port Sanilac Harbor on Saturday, August 3, when the 38-year-old engineer noticed three adults running frantically into the waves, yelling in panic as they attempted to help a teenager who had fallen from the break wall and into the six-foot tall waves. However, once the teenager was rescued, being pulled back up onto the break wall and to safety, the three good Samaritans were left struggling against the lake’s riptide, requiring rescue themselves. King, along with his family and others on the break wall, worked together to bring the three people back to shore, with beach towels being used in the rescue effort. Emergency responders were called during this time, arriving at the scene after the group was brought to shore
Once out of the water and out of danger, the teenager received medical treatment, and King was left to consider the near-death experience he had just witnessed. According to him, there were no personal flotation devices on the break wall, despite its proximity to the water. He also felt that current legislation, which includes warning signs, is not enough to keep the public safe. With this in mind, King emailed local policy makers about the issue the following Monday, contacting three Sanilac County Commissioners, 98th District State Representative Greg Alexander and 25th State District Senator Dan Lauwers.
He proposed the following: the “submission of legislation to require all piers/ break walls or any man built structure with pedestrian walkway into the waters edge, to have 1 PFD (Personal Flotation Device) at a minimum of 100 foot spacing. Each Coast guard approved PFD would be required to be present at all times during summer months when piers/ break walls are open.”
Silence, at first, followed, though for good reason, with the county commissioners unable to help in the situation, having no jurisdiction over the county harbors, and Representative Alexander’s office diving into the proposed legislation’s feasibility head first.
Justin Huffman, Representative Alexander’s legislative aide, noted that, while the idea was a good one, it was one much more complicated than initially expected, and required further research. In addition to determining how many personal flotation devices would be needed for all of Michigan’s shoreline and its corresponding cost, there is also the question of who would be responsible for paying for the emergency devices.
Furthermore, a Monday trip to the Port Sanilac Marina by Alexander revealed that even if the personal flotation devices were bought and the state’s shoreline equipped, it may be for nothing as many of the harbor’s PFDs have been stolen, a fact echoed by Sanilac County Commissioner Roger Ballard. The trend seems unfortunately common, with it unclear why the emergency devices are such a target for theft.
King admitted that he was disheartened for a moment, having heard back from no one, but he was determined to continue his task, saying that “even if the proposal is not the right answer, I know there is a better solution to save lives.”
However, steps are starting to be made, with King happily reporting that he spoke with Representative Alexander Monday afternoon about the issue for 45 minutes. The representative encouraged King to get back in touch in early November to review a possible bill for presentation before the Michigan House of Representatives.
In the meantime, Huffman urges constituents to be safe while on the water by paying attention to current beach signs and staying up to date on water and weather conditions before swimming or boating. Representative Alexander and his office continue to work on the issue, with it unclear what facet will be studied next.
