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For Release: May 21, 2009
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Contact:
Jesse Schomberg, Coastal Communities Specialist, Minnesota Sea Grant, (218) 726-8106
Gene Clark, Coastal Engineering Specialist, Wisconsin Sea Grant, (715) 394-8472
Jim Lubner, Marine Safety Specialist, Wisconsin Sea Grant, (414) 227-3291
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Great Lakes Rip Current Conference June 4 in Duluth |
Duluth, Minn. (5/21/2009) -- Nationally, over 100 deaths a year are caused by rip currents, and the Great Lakes are not immune. From 2002 through 2003, 18 people died in Lake Michigan alone, and in 2003, a young man drowned in a rip current on Park Point in Duluth.
Many of these deaths could have been avoided by knowing what rip currents are, how to spot them, understanding the conditions in which they form, and knowing how to escape.
The day-long 2009 Great Lakes Rip Current Conference will begin at 9 a.m. June 4, 2009, at the Lafayette Community Center in Duluth, Minn. National experts on rip currents and hypothermia will discuss the mechanics of how, why, and where rip currents form in the Great Lakes; our ability to forecast rip current conditions; the effects of hypothermia and how cold water can affect rescues; and example programs from Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota on educating beach users to recognize and escape from rip currents.
The conference is open to all, but pre-registration is required by June 1. A registration form and more information are available at www.seagrant.umn.edu/rip. The conference is sponsored by Minnesota Sea Grant and the National Weather Service office in Duluth. |
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