Expert believes rip current contributed to drowning of man in Port Burwell, Ont.

After the drowning of a Woodstock man, an expert cautions the public about rip currents, which pull swimmers far offshore. CTV London’s Brent Lale reports.

The recent drowning of a father in Port Burwell, Ont. has underscored the urgent need for public awareness around the dangers the Great Lakes pose.

“My entire life, I’ve always been told undertow was a concern and we’re finding now that rip currents are more of a concern,” says Nate MacIntyre, 43, a lifeguard with more than 18 years experience.

MacIntyre was in Port Burwell hours after the drowning, helping police and fire fighters try to understand where they could find the body of Randy Lavigne.

He believes saw many areas of rip currents which likely contributed to claiming the life of the Woodstock father.

“Rip current is a focused current of water that’s pulling swimmers far offshore and far away from shore where they’re left in deeper water,” said MacIntyre.

“Often people struggle. They want to swim right back to shore immediately, where they know it’s safe and they’re swimming against the current. Some of the best advice could be counterintuitive, which is relax, flip, float, follow, flip onto your back, float, conserve your energy. You’re going to need your energy. Allow the current just to take you.”

Due to strong currents, and a recent drowning, the City of Windsor closed Sandpoint Beach.

MacIntyre believes society is well past the point where the public needs education and clarification of terminology.

“Out with the old and in with the science evidence-based education,” he says.

“We can’t keep going with undertow here or riptide there. We don’t have tides on the Great Lakes, and undertow isn’t really causing the problems. But rip currents are a real concern that are focused currents of water carrying people and debris and sediment offshore and leaving you in deeper water.”

Tuesday morning he made a delegation to Elgin County Council about the RIP Current Information Project.

“We started the RIP Current Information Project to help educate the public and educate governments about what’s happening,” said MacIntyre.

“We’re going to try to establish the campaign here in Elgin County and I had a really great support from all of the councillors and the Warden about amplifying the message and getting the word out to the public this year.”

The Lifesaving Society of Ontario estimates for every fatal drowning, there are 4-5 non-fatal drownings. Those are just the ones that are reported.

“It’s one of those things that everybody in the community feels it,” says Briar McCaw of the Elgin County Drowning Prevention Coalition (ECDPC).

“It stems from people who have previously lost children or family members to drowning, to people who work in emergency services and hospitals, businesses. It’s not just we’re losing a life, we’re taking mental, social, emotional, even financial tolls and bringing these things in. Anything we can do to save a life we should take advantage of.”

The ECDPC has been working with MacIntyre to push education.

“Whether you’re coming to visit the beach for the day, how can you best learn the conditions, how to protect yourself, but also how can we collaborate with local community services?” says McCaw.

“The RIP Current Information Project did a great presentation to some of the fire departments, educating them about the dangers about the science. It’s been really incredible to kind of join this collective knowledge together. How can we understand it all, collaborate towards the same goal of having to reduce and prevent drownings in our region?”

Later this summer, MacIntyre will paddle from Port Stanley to Port Burwell. The 35 km challenge hopes to raise further awareness about Great Lake RIP Currents.