Bill to prevent drownings in Lake Michigan passes Indiana Senate

WVPE 88.1 Elkhart/South Bend | By Rebecca Thiele

Published February 6, 2024 at 3:00 PM EST

A U.S. Coast Guard crew rescue members of a sailboat that capsized near Holland, Michigan, in 2014. — The bill would require those who maintain public beaches and piers on the lake to have highly visible, emergency flotation devices available. Local governments would also have to report drownings at public sites at least twice a year.

A bill that aims to reduce drowning deaths on Lake Michigan passed the Indiana Senate on Tuesday.

SB 253, authored by Sen. Rodney Pol (D-Chesterton), would require those who maintain public beaches and piers on the lake to have highly visible, emergency flotation devices available. Local governments would also have to report drownings at public sites at least twice a year.

Six people drowned last year alone along Lake Michigan beaches and other public sites in Indiana.

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The bill now moves to state House for consideration. Pol proposed a similar bill last year, but it was stalled when it didn’t receive a hearing in the House Natural Resources Committee.

Rebecca is our energy and environment reporter. Contact her at rthiele@iu.edu or follow her on Twitter at @beckythiele.