Several drowning incidents occurred over the holiday weekend in inland lakes, ponds, pools, and Lake Michigan, casting a tragic pall over Fourth of July celebrations.
The bodies of 10 drowning victims have been recovered since July 4th, with MLive.com reporting the tragic news on Monday.
“Nearly half the victims were fathers and sons who died in the same events. In both of those cases, the sons were struggling in the water and their fathers went in to try to rescue them, according to authorities,” the outlet said.
In one incident, a father and his son drowned on Saturday as they were swimming at Indiana Dunes National Park, WGN-TV reported on Sunday.
“The victims were identified as David Meneou, 65, of Joliet, and his son, Jameson Meneou, 20, of Lockport,” the article said.
“IDNR says a preliminary investigation shows Jameson Meneou was swimming when he ventured into deep water and began to struggle. His father jumped in to save him but also became distressed. This incident remains under investigation by Indiana Conservation Officers,” the outlet noted.
Over a two day period in late June at Lake Michigan, one person died, ten others were rescued from drowning, and one person went missing, Fox 32 reported.
In a 2020 video report, MLive.com called Lake Michigan the “Deadliest Great Lake,” noting that every year dozens of people drown there while swimming or boating:
Executive Director of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project Dave Benjamin told Fox 32 what can happen to swimmers and how to prevent drowning.
“So you’re in the water, you’re swimming, you accidentally inhale a drip of water, your throat closes, now you go to instant panic. What we advocate is flip, float, and follow the emphasis on floating. You need to flip over [onto] your back and float to keep the head above water, to calm yourself down from panic, to conserve your energy, and then follow a safe path out of the water,” he said.
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