MILWAUKEE -- Thirty-three people have drowned in Lake Michigan so far this year. That's according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.
They hope to spread the word about what to do if you are struggling in the water: Flip, Float and Follow. First, flip on your back. Float to conserve your energy. Lastly, follow a safe path out of the water.
Dave Benjamin is the founder of the non-profit. He shared how he almost drowned while surfing in 2010.
"I realized I had done the signs of drowning. So I just did nothing. I laid back, I was able to get to the surface and rolled up on my back, got high up on my back, and chest out of the water, and just breathe," said Dave Benjamin, co-founder of the Great Lakes Suf Rescue Project.
Benjamin shares how so often when people are drowning, they make the motion of going up a ladder, which causes them to lose energy and go underwater.
"The number one thing we hear from families of drowning victims after a tragic event is 'I didn't know,'" said Benjamin.
Benjamin hopes his non-profit will push every beach and pier along the great lakes to have a rescue throw. He says the roughly $50 cost is worth it to save a life.
