PORT HURON (WWJ) The U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes and The Canadian Coast Guard have issued a joint statement urging people not to participate in the Port Huron ‘Float Down’ on Sunday (8/18).
They called the event, that's estimated to draw thousands, “unsanctioned” and said it “poses significant dangers to participants” and other people using the 7.5 mile course on the Lake St. Clair.
In the statement, they said danger of death and serious injury stems from: fast currents, poor weather conditions, cold water, a large number of participants, a shortage of life jackets, and “limited resources that can create challenging emergency response scenarios.”
“This is an inherently dangerous activity,” they said in their joint statement. “As first responders, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Canadian Coast Guard recommend that people do not take part in this event .”
According to coast guard officials; water temperatures at recent Float Downs have averaged 60-66 degrees Fahrenheit. Hypothermia can set in at any temperature below 70 degrees, impairing someone’s ability to swim or help themselves. Alcohol consumption can also increase a person’s susceptibility to hypothermia, they said.
In 2014, a 19-year-old “experienced swimmer” drowned during the Float Down. Authorities suspended a search effort for him; comprised of state, local and federal law enforcement (including the coast guard); after 36 hours.
Two years later; about 1,500 participants ended up stranded on the Canadian shoreline at Sarnia and Corunna, because high winds and rain caused them to drift. They required assistance as they were facing Canadian and U.S. border security without money, identification or cellphones.
However, if you do decide to participate, the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard encourage you to use the following safety guidelines:
-Wear a properly fitting, U.S. Coast Guard/Transport Canada approved personal flotation device or life jacket at all times.
-Bring a waterproof bag containing a legal ID and other personal items.
-Bring a paddle. They can help steer and can be used as a signaling device.
-File a ‘Float Plan’ with a friend or family member not participating in the event, who can notify first responders if you do not check-in at a scheduled time.
-Do not go alone. Use a buddy system, look out for each other, and report anyone who is in distress to the nearest first responder.
-Do not drink alcohol.
-Dress for cold weather and cold water. Use a raft that “limits immersion” in the water.
-Stay near shore and out of the navigation channel.
-If you have a child with you, consider using a swim tether to make sure he or she stays nearby.
-Mark floats with your name and contact information (cellphone number) in waterproof ink. Empty floats let first responders know someone is missing.
-Once you complete the course, take all floats out of the water to avoid unnecessary searches.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard , an estimated 5,000 people will once again participate in the event, by floating down a section of the Port Huron River in inner tubes or other floatation devices, from approximately noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday. The unofficial event has taken place annually since 2009.
The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone during that time to “restrict and control movement of vessels in a portion of the St. Clair River…to provide for the safety of life.”
The Coast Guard said, while they’re well trained, they “lack resources” to oversee the magnitude of this event.
“We cannot be everywhere at once,” they said in the statement. “We rely on (participants) to look out for one another, act responsibility, and refrain from alcohol consumption while on the water to improve the likelihood they return home safely.”
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