Indiana bill requiring life ring stations at piers on Lake Michigan passes out of committee

INDIANAPOLIS (WNDU) - The Indiana Senate Committee on Natural Resources unanimously passed a bill on Monday that would require life ring stations on piers and at public access points on Lake Michigan.

Members of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project and others impacted by drownings testified in support of Indiana Senate Bill 424. Supporters shared personal stories of rescues, drownings, CPR, and the financial cost-effective benefits of implementing life rings.

Last June, Illinois was the first great lakes state to pass the Lake Michigan Rescue Equipment Act. Indiana Senate Bill 424 will mirror the law passed in Illinois.

It will require all private and government-owned piers, drop-offs, and public access points to be equipped with rescue gear, such as easily accessible flotation devices or life rings.

The author of the bill, Sen. Rodney Pol (D-Chesterton), released the following statement on its passage:

This legislation is about saving lives. Lake Michigan is one of our state’s great resources, but its undertow can be dangerous for any swimmer. We’ve lost at least 52 lives to drowning in Lake Michigan over the last decade in Indiana. Making rescue equipment easily accessible at public access points will save lives. These drowning cases are all too familiar to those of us in Northwest Indiana, and we have a duty to do everything we can to make our beaches safer, which is what SB 424 does. I appreciate the dedication of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project for their work and for bringing this initiative forward. I would also like to thank Senator Glick and the members of the Natural Resources Committee for their support and will continue working to get this legislation signed into law.
Sen. Rodney Pol (D-Chesterton)