The path to life rings being installed on the Kenosha lakefront
Updated
This is a series of articles following the discussion on the drownings that occurred on the Kenosha lakefront in 2018, and the eventual installation of life rings in key locations by the city of Kenosha to try to prevent future drownings.
Partnership promotes water safety awareness through Safety Around Water series
Marco! Polo!
Ahhhh, the sounds of summer! It is finally here! Invitations to pool parties and picnics down by the lake. This is what we have been dreaming about all winter long.
Safety Around Water: Safe swimming environment is important
When I was 14 years old, I was swimming in a hotel pool with my sister. We were the only people in the water.
Suddenly a 3-year-old girl came running into the pool area and jumped into the deep end alone. It was apparent immediately that she could not swim. Today, I would define it as an active drowning victim. My sister turned to me and said “do something.” I froze.
Curious Kenosha: Why are there no life preservers on the North Pier?
With its breathtaking sunrises, bountiful beaches and top-notch fishing, Lake Michigan remains one of the top attractions for local residents and visitors.
Kenosha man dies after rescuing daughter from Lake Michigan
A 28-year-old Kenosha man died early Monday, having never recovered after he was pulled unconscious from Lake Michigan after he went underwater while trying to save his daughter.
According to Kenosha Police Sgt. James Beller, the man’s 10-year-old daughter called 911 at 7:49 p.m. Saturday saying she thought her father had drowned. When police arrived at the beach near Pennoyer Park at the mouth of the Pike River, “officers saw him floating and being pushed by waves,” Beller said.
'Reach or Throw, Don’t Go': Have a plan for water emergencies
How will I react in an emergency situation?
This is a question that we all may ask ourselves. We plan and practice escape routes in our homes in case of a fire. We know that education and preparation can help us with our emergency response. Water emergencies are no different.
Thanks to the courage and quick action of a kayaker and a group of onlookers, a 13-year-old girl will live to see another birthday after almost drowning in the Pike River on the Fourth of July.
Around noon Wednesday, Mike Bain, of Mount Pleasant, and his adult son Dylan, both born and raised in Kenosha, were at the outlet of the Pike River — about 100 feet from where it connects to Lake Michigan. Mike Bain had been sitting on a ridge reading a book when he noticed a girl struggling in the water.
Last month, Olympic Skier Bode Miller and his wife Morgan Beck Miller lost their 19-month-old daughter to a drowning in a neighbor’s pool.
A first responder described the incident: “She was only missing for just a short amount of time and Mom turned and was looking for her and didn’t see her right next to her. Mom went straight to the backyard to where the pool was. The child was in the pool. The mom pulled out the little girl, and they started CPR immediately.”
We are fortunate in our area to have easy access to launch ramps and marinas (for those who own boats) and to various businesses that offer activities on the water.
With the boating season in full swing, a number of often known, but often ignored facts about boating safety are worth reviewing.
Calling it “a long time coming,” Ald. David Bogdala strongly called for support Monday for safety enhancements at dangerous areas of Kenosha’s lakefront.
Bogdala has proposed shifting money in the budget to fund warning signs where the Pike River flows into Lake Michigan and on lakefront piers.
Fun turns to tragedy as local teen disappears in Kenosha Harbor waters
What started as fun ended tragically late Thursday afternoon when a local teen jumped off the north pier of Kenosha Harbor, was overpowered by Lake Michigan currents and disappeared below the surface.
Multiple agencies responded to the 5 p.m. 911 call.
The presumed drowning last week of a 17-year-old boy in Kenosha Harbor apparently wasn’t enough to push two City Council committees take immediate action to place life rings on the north pier.
Instead, the committee agendas only listed “life ring kiosks and location” for discussion, meaning the aldermen on the committees could talk about but not approve — or reject — whether to purchase and where to place the structure and device.
Back and forth: Readers discuss life rings in Kenosha
The day after two City Council committees discussed but didn’t take action to place life rings on the north pier, readers held their own discussion with the story online.
The committees didn’t act Monday despite the Kenosha Sportfishing and Conservation Association already having purchased a kiosk, life ring and rope for donation to the city.
City works to set up life preservers at north pier
The city is awaiting approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to place publicly accessible flotation devices on Kenosha Harbor’s north pier.
A local teenager drowned after jumping into the water off the pier Thursday afternoon. His body has not been recovered. Some have blamed the boy’s death potentially on the lack of so-called “life rings” on the pier.
The body of a young man was found on the Lake Michigan shoreline at Carthage College Wednesday afternoon, and it may be that of an Indian Trail High School and Academy student who was swept away by currents in the Kenosha Harbor last week.
Carthage students found the body at about 2 p.m. just east of residence halls on campus, about 3 miles north of the pier where the teen was last seen.
Mayor: Safest option is to fence off the north pier
Mayor John Antaramian said Wednesday he will recommend the city fence off Kenosha Harbor’s north pier from public access.
“At least that’s one of my recommendations to the council in the future as to what we need to get done, because I don’t think there is any other solution that solves this problem,” Antaramian said.
With a window to view the city’s progress toward getting approval to finally set up accessible life rings on Kenosha’s north pier, we want to applaud and inform.
First, we applaud the Kenosha Sportfishing and Conservation Association for raising money in 2013 and purchasing a storage kiosk, life ring and rope and offering them to the city as a donation.
Writer: City can pay me to solve their drownings problem
Just like the criminals that get arrested for robbery, rape, homicide, attempted homicide or eluding, and have a rap sheet that reaches to the moon, only to pick out a drooling attorney to sue the city and police to become instant millionaires, I, too, have devised a plan to become rich.
If the city deposits $1 million after taxes into my Roth IRA, I will let them in on my secret to end the senseless drownings off the north pier every year. Seeing as how our elected officials, first responders and Coast Guard Corps of Engineers obviously can’t seem to figure it out on their own. Sad!
Witness to drowning wants to donate flotation rings to Kenosha police
An Illinois woman wants to donate 10 flotation rings to the Kenosha Police Department to be kept in lakefront patrol vehicles.
Marlene Tare, of North Aurora, Ill., didn’t know Donovan Anderson, 17, of Kenosha, but she can’t get the vision out of her mind of seeing him drown Sept. 6 after he jumped off the north pier in Kenosha Harbor.
City moving on life preserver rings for Kenosha Harbor
The city is moving to equip the south wall of Kenosha Harbor with throw rings, ropes and kiosks to house them, according to Alds. Mitchell Pedersen and David Bogdala.
In the wake of the Sept. 6 drowning of Donovan Andersen, 19, of Kenosha, the city is continuing to work on a needed agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to similarly equip the north pier, they said after Monday night’s City Council meeting.
Couple concerned to see more pier jumpers at Kenosha Harbor
“It’s really scary,” Carol Mitchell said Friday, describing how she and her husband, Steve, watched two young men repeatedly jump off the north pier of Kenosha Harbor and into the water.
On the Mitchells’ minds were the recent drowning of Donovan Andersen, 17, who jumped into the lake at the eastern end of the pier, less than 100 feet from where the Kenosha couple saw the boys going into the water.
Kenosha Police Department vehicles could be equipped by next month with rescue rope throw bags for water emergencies, Chief Daniel Miskinis said Friday.
“It’s coming out of our existing budget,” Miskinis said. “The order is in as an expedited purchase order. I would hope by mid-October to have them here and in the squads.”
Committees approve installing life rings, education resolution, violation penalties
In the wake of four lakefront drownings here the past two years, including most recently high school student Donovan Anderson, the city of Kenosha is moving toward a comprehensive approach to upgrade water safety.
Monday night, three City Council bodies recommended approval, with no objections, of a resolution by Mayor John Antaramian authorizing the installation of three life ring buoys on Kenosha Harbor’s north pier.
KFD chief, Coast Guard propose kiosk sites for Kenosha Harbor
Kenosha Fire Department Chief Charles Leipzig, in consultation with the U.S. Coast Guard, has recommended four sites at Kenosha Harbor for the city to place life-ring kiosks.
Three of the four are proposed for the north pier, including one near where a 17-year-old drowned after jumping off the east end.
The city of Kenosha will, weather permitting, install a life preserver ring kiosk near the east end of the Kenosha Harbor south pier by the end of the week.
Monday night the City Council approved, with no objections, a resolution by Mayor John Antaramian authorizing placement of one cabinet containing a throw ring and attached rescue rope at that location.
The city of Kenosha Finance Department has set up a “Water Safety Trust Account” to accept private donations being offered to buy and help maintain life ring kiosk sets and other water safety items.
Donors may send checks, along with a short letter indicating how you would like it spent. That may include life rings, additional kiosks, signs, educational materials, or anything else designed to improve lakefront water safety.
City installs first life ring flotation equipment at Kenosha Harbor
The first life preserver ring kiosk in the city was installed Wednesday at Kenosha Harbor.
It was mounted by public works employees near the east end of the south pier. The large, bright yellow cabinet holds a circular flotation buoy with a rope, making publicly accessible water-rescue equipment available for lake emergencies for the first time in decades.
