Latest Near-Drowning Highlights Pier Jumping Dangers

by Samuel King (king@wsbt.com)

Tools

Latest Near-Drowning Highlights Pier Jumping Dangers

By WSBT News1

Story Created: Jun 28, 2007 at 3:43 PM EST

Story Updated: Oct 29, 2007 at 12:45 PM EST

(WSBT) Crews rescued another person in Lake Michigan after she jumped from a pier in St. Joseph Wednesday. It's the seventh person in the last two weeks, not including the Elkhart man who was killed when currents swept him away.

Multimedia

Watch The Video

The Coast Guard says the Kalamazoo woman jumped into the St. Joseph River from North Pier. Petty Officer Christopher Gill says the river waters are actually more dangerous than lake waters.

“She was hanging one or two rungs above the water,” Petty Officer Gill said. “And the waves were knocking her down, so she couldn't climb up the ladder. If we hadn't got there, she would have let go.”

This latest rescue came just a week after an Elkhart man drowned after jumping off a pier.

“People just think it's not going to happen to them,” Petty Officer Gill said. “They're fearless. They think they can swim good, they think their abilities are better than what the conditions might be and they get in and they get overwhelmed.”

The Coast Guard was part of a safety fair this past weekend, warning about the dangers, but still people jump.

“I like being in the air before you hit the water,” said Gordon Scott, of Ohio. “That's the fun part."

The St. Joseph Police Department told WSBT News that jumping from both North and South Pier is actually illegal according to federal statute, but only federal law enforcement can enforce that law. Michigan lawmakers plan to announce legislation to change that.

More Good Stuff

WSBT Weather

Current Temp 38.1

More Weather

WSBT Weather

More Weather

On Demand

iPhone
Get the WSBT News and Irish Sports Report apps for your iPhone! Read more »
On DVD
Order a DVD of a WSBT news story! Read more »
Twitter
Follow us on Twitter! Read more »
Facebook
Connect with us on Facebook! Read more »
WSBT E-News
Daily StormTracker e-mails right to your Inbox! Read more »
Video On Demand
Miss a story on WSBT News? Watch it here! Read more »
CBS Shows
Watch CBS shows and news online, free! Read more »
WSBT Alert
Breaking News & Weather right to your cell phone! Read more »
Mobile
WSBT News on the go for your cell phone or PDA. Read more »
RSS Feeds
Get news and updates as soon as they're published. Read more »

Stock Quotes

YouNews

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.