See Something, Say Something; Looking out for safety
We’ve all seen the posters: a suspicious pair of eyes or an abandoned knapsack over bold letters imploring us to report suspicious activity. The Department of Homeland Security’s “See Something, Say Something Campaign” is a nationwide effort to report [...]
Rip Currents: What they are; The dangers; How to escape
Sunny days, fresh water, sandy beaches; all of these could be used to describe summer time in the Great Lakes. It’s the time of year when the snowsuits go into storage and the swimsuits come out. People flock to places [...]
Navigation Rules for on the water
So far we’ve focused on what you, the individual boater, can do to protect yourself during National Safe Boating Week. We’ve emphasized wearing life jackets, avoiding alcohol when operating a boat, ensuring you’ve got the proper safety equipment before you [...]
Help the Coast Guard save you: Have and use boating safety equipment
During the last week of April, an aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Mich., assisted the Michigan State Police in locating a lost kayaker in Northern Michigan. The kayaker had capsized his kayak in the Firesteel River [...]
Operation Paddle Smart
A tale of two paddlecrafts Imagine: two men living in the same neighborhood on Lake Michigan went to the outdoor store and each bought a paddlecraft. While there, they were both handed paddlecraft safety kits with a Paddle Smart [...]
Great Lakes Shipmates of the Week: Life-saving Sector Buffalo marine inspectors
Coast Guard marine inspectors protect life by ensuring vessel safety, but this week’s shipmates of the week were a little more hands on than usual. On April 17, 2013, marine inspectors from Coast Guard Sector Buffalo were conducting inspections, alongside [...]
Hypothermia kills: These tips can save your life
Seasonal Safety Risks The Great Lakes environment shifts drastically with the seasons. The frozen wintry expanse thaws to a lush boater’s paradise in the summer. The region is currently in what is called the “shoulder season,” when any day can [...]
Understanding the weather can save the day
Blog post written by PA2 Levi Read, D9 External Affairs Division, with information obtained from Dave Anderson, a Coast Guard auxiliarist. As the months pass and February turns to March and then April, the weather will change. Here in the [...]
Cool customers
This is a first-hand account of Icy Resolve 2013 from the eyes of Cmdr. Lisa Ragone, an incident commander at the full-scale exercise. I served as the secondary incident commander from Coast Guard Sector Detroit for an ice rescue exercise [...]
Summerstock: A plan of action to patrol the Great Lakes
On Aug. 18, 2012 a rescue boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Sackets Harbor, N.Y., rescued two men from a boat that was taking on water in Lake Ontario. All across the nation, Coast Guard rescue crews engage in similar responses [...]
