Lifeguard EMILY Comes to Our State's Western Shores

[XLFD]

Your athletically-challenged son might be the go-to guy for the local robotics team (the Award-winning Ludington O-bots) today, but would you be surprised that he could also be the next local hero tomorrow, rescuing a struggling swimmer from the riptides of Stearns Beach?

This isn't part of a daydream; the future of lifesaving has arrived on the shores of Lake Michigan in the form of a remote-control robot lifesaving device called ALICE.  Recently, two of these devices (seen below, and later on in action in a video) were delivered to St. Joseph and New Buffalo, donated by a family who unfortunately had to deal with two drowning deaths in the area.  The story follows, certain areas are highlighted as it pertains to our area and our lack of rescue programs with the ability to help struggling swimmers on our beaches:

ST. JOSEPH, MI — E.M.I.L.Y. is a remote-controlled robot that zips over waves to help struggling swimmers, which is being introduced on a pair of Lake Michigan beaches this summer.

Supporters of the technology say it could save lives.

This week, two donated E.M.I.L.Y. (Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard) ro... in St. Joseph and New Buffalo. Local lifeguards joined police and water safety advocates for a training session at St. Joseph’s popular Silver Beach.

The devices cost more than $12,000 each. They were donated by families of Kory Ernster and Emily MacDonald, a young couple that died in August 2022 while swimming in Lake Michigan at South Haven.

Lisa MacDonald, Emily’s mother, said it was amazing to see the technology make it into the hands of local lifeguards. The training included members of lifeguard teams from New Buffalo and Silver Beach.

“It’s our mission to protect beachgoers,” MacDonald said.

Loved ones gathered at a pavilion on the beach to present the robot donations.  Rescue personnel wasted no time getting them in the water to test them after the ceremony.

The robots are launched from the beach and controlled by someone on shore using a remote control. The devices, which include a boat hull with a floatation device mounted on top, are meant to make it to a struggling swimmer quicker than a human lifeguard can.

That provides crucial time for the person to float as a lifeguard makes it out to save them, said Dave Benjamin of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project. The group helped organize the event and ran the training on Monday, June 10.

Hydronalix, the robot’s manufacturer, said the devices have been used to help save people during water rescues.

After a successful demonstration, organizers are excited about the possibility of other lake towns picking up E.M.I.L.Y. robots of their own.

They are also pushing for more lifeguard programs up and down the Lake Michigan coast. The robots work best when paired with an existing lifeguard program, MacDonald said.

Watch the video at the top of the story to see what the E.M.I.L.Y robot looks like in action. 

Watch a robot race over Lake Michigan waves to help a swimmer - mli...

It's been almost two weeks after this EMILY training has taken place, and it appears that it has fallen under the sonar of Ludington leaders who choose to run a couple of law enforcement officers at Stearns (the Beach Patrol) rather than run a lifeguard program, which they have successfully ran in the past with documented rescues back in 2009, the last year of the program.  In 2010, three drownings occurred at the beach and at least one may have had different results had lifeguards or one of these robots been around.  

With a one time outlay of $12,000 and noting that the lifeguard program was ran with roughly the same amount of money as the beach patrol (maybe even less), why doesn't our municipal government consider making Stearns a safe beach with an emphasis on saving lives?

[Willy]

I like the idea but if cities consider purchasing these mini jet ski's why not buy the real thing. Then the life guard can scoot out with the machine. A jet ski is faster, can carry a person to help and can carry other life saving equipment.

[XLFD]

Jet skis dedicated towards lifeguard use would be even better and quicker than these EMILY units in most situations, provided you have those trained lifeguards present.  If those lifeguards were present, you'd have to think that they wouldn't let folks go in the water when the waters wouldn't allow for a jet ski assisted rescue.

An EMILY unit might be good to have in the transition back to having a lifeguard program, as the best LHS swimmers might not be trained and available for lifeguarding immediately.  It might also be the best resource to use when the waters are too rough to risk another life on a jet ski, and someone has fallen into the water off the pier and a quick response is needed and a life ring on a rope just won't work.