'Know the Dangers of that Lake,' Water Safety Group Member Says

As warmer weather draws near, the Port Washington Waterfront Safety Advisory Committee that formed in light of 15-year-old Tyler Buczek's drowning death is ready to spring into action, implementing the plans it developed over the winter.

Committee member Kevin Rudser — who was recently elected to the Port Washington Common Council — told aldermen on Tuesday that educational signage will be "going up as soon as the weather permits."

The group also plans to place life rings on north and south beach, as well as in Veterans Park where people sometimes swim on a sandy area, Rudser said.

"These drowning fatalities should prompt communities to completely rethink (water safety and education procedures)," said Becky Perez, another committee member. "Everybody needs to know the dangers of … that lake, and they really need to respect and they need to understand — that in a second the winds can change."

WiFi on beach paves way for cameras, call posts

Rudser also told the council on Tuesday that the group has been researching the idea of making the beaches WiFi capable, a technology upgrade that would improve cell signal and allow for other technologies that could help in rescue situations.

"One of the things that we heard back in September (after Buczek died) is that they were having trouble connecting with their cell phones," Rudser said. "If we can flood that beach and that lakefront with WiFi, it allows us to bring in call boxes, it allows us to bring in cameras."

The addition of WiFi has a wider benefit, too, as tourists may like the idea of a WiFi capable beach, he said. Plus, the marina has already received requests for a better WiFi signal for its members, as well as cameras that would allow potential visitors to get idea of lake conditions before heading down.

Sheboygan beaches have call a box system with four posts that cost about $75,000, Rudser said. After the WiFi is installed, the cost for WiFi capable call boxes would only be about $2,500 a post.

Rescue group hosts educational forums

Perez led the sub-committee that focused its attention on educational opportunities for the community. She got in touch with Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project in late fall 2012, and she has been in ongoing contact with the group ever since.

The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project is comprised of "Great Lakes surfers dedicated to reducing drowning incidents on the Great Lakes," according to the organization's website. The group will host education courses on April 17 and June 23 in Port Washington.

• Related: Patch spoke with the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project in September. Learn more about the methods the program teaches.

Dave Benjamin, executive director of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, will teach the "flip, float and follow," method for people who find themselves stuck in water currents.

"When someone gets sucked out in a rip current ... the first 10 seconds of being in a rip current is — they're either going to make the biggest mistake of their life, or they're going to flip and float and calm themselves down," Benjamin told Patch in September. "Ask anybody, anywhere — what do you do if you catch on fire … they’ll say 'Stop, Drop and Roll'.  … Ask anybody caught in a rip current what they would do … they either don’t know, or they say don't panic and swim parallel."

The presentations on April 17 include one-hour speech at the high school, with a presentation also sponsored by the Greater Port Washington Kiwanis Club on flip, float and follow at 6:30 p.m. at the Thomas Jefferson Middle School pool.

"They're doing it at a minimal cost — basically gas, lodging and food," Perez said.

Memorial a large part of committee efforts

Jim Buzcek, Tyler's uncle, is also part of the committee with his wife, Tracy. The two have been working mostly with the subcommittee focused on developing a memorial for Tyler.

"This is a very emotional committee for me and my family," he told the council on Tuesday. "It's been hard — but we couldn't live in a better community. So, I want to thank everybody here. I thank all of you for all your commitment to any and all ideas that we've had so far."

Jim Buzcek offered details about the planned memorial that will honor both Tyler Buzcek and in March 2012.

Jim Buzcek said Tyler's parents wanted to incorporate Dougherty in the memorial.

"Due to the fact that just 7 months earlier Peter Dougherty died in the same lake, doing the same thing — just enjoying a day in the water, (Tyler's parents) thought it might be (nice to incorporate Dougherty)," Jim Buzcek said.

The planned memorial is a pavilion that will be part of the soon-to-open Coal Dock Park. It will have some seating below, and stairs to an upper deck that offers an enclosed 3-foot wide walkway for lake viewing. The family also hopes to add lighting to the pavilion so that the memorial can be seen from parts of downtown.

A plaque nearby will read something like:

On March 10, 2012, 24-year-old Peter Dougherty lost his life while kayaking off the shores in Lake Michigan. Seven months later, on Sept. 2, 2012, 15-year-old Tyler Buzcek lost his life while swimming off north beach. This pavilion is dedicated in their memory, and in the memory of countless others who have lost their lives in Lake Michigan.

The committee is also moving into fundraising phases to raise the money needed for the ideas mentioned above, and more. Anyone interested in becoming involved with the committee's efforts, attending the education events or donating can contact Rudser at 262-343-6676.