Liabilities are on Duty at Stearn's Park

[XLFD]

If you were brought home a note from school for your son or daughter to attend a pool activity at the local high school or college that said there would be a trained lifeguard there to monitor the activities would that make you more likely to send them there?  And what if you did send them there, and they wound up drowning needlessly because there never was a lifeguard there in the first place?

 In a previous analysis of a drowning at Stearn's Beach last year using the police report and other known factors we were able to deduce what a difference a lifeguard may have made in saving the victim  Goldsmith Drowning.   The lifeguard program was dropped by the Ludington City Council at the end of 2009 without specific comment by any official, for the understood reason that they were trying to cut costs, as it coincided with the layoffs of five other employees. 

Next year, City Manager John Shay confirmed that in a newspaper interview, and in a couple of months after that Mr. Goldsmith drowned trying to rescue other swimmers at Stearn's Beach.  Yet were Mr. Goldsmith, his family, and the ones that nearly drowned dreadfully misinformed by a variety of advertising websites that broadcasted, and still broadcast, the fallacy that there are lifeguards at Stearn's Park? 

Advantage Marketing is a local company that runs over two dozen interconnected websites (to improve their performances on search engines like Google and Firefox).  If you type in something regarding the area from Oceana up to Manistee County, you will likely see one or more of these websites when you search on the web.  But each of the 27 websites listed below has, and had, a blurb about Stearn's Beach that says "Lifeguards are on duty at Stearn's Park." at the end of the first paragraph in each

 

 

 

http://www.scottvilleriversidepark.com/stories/stearns_park_beach_o...

http://www.pentwaterweddings.com/stories/stearns_park_beach_on_lake...

http://www.westmichiganrvcamping.com/stories/stearns_park_beach_on_...

http://www.scottvillebusinessdirectory.com/stories/stearns_park_bea...

http://www.scottvillecelebrations.com/stories/stearns_park_beach_on...

http://www.lakeshoreweddingguide.com/stories/stearns_park_beach_on_...

http://www.silverlakeweddings.com/stories/stearns_park_beach_on_lak...

http://www.manisteeweddingguide.com/stories/stearns_park_beach_on_l...

http://www.ludingtonkids.com/stories/stearns_park_beach_on_lake_mic...

http://www.destinationmanitowoc.com/stories/stearns_park_beach_on_l...

http://www.mylakeshorewedding.com/stories/stearns_park_beach_on_lak...

http://www.manisteebusinessdirectory.com/stories/stearns_park_beach...

http://www.pentwaterhomesandgardens.com/stories/stearns_park_beach_...

http://www.m22michigan.com/stories/stearns_park_beach_on_lake_michi...

http://www.lakemichigandestinations.com/stories/stearns_park_beach_...

http://www.midwestbusinessnetwork.com/stories/stearns_park_beach_on...

http://www.advantagemarketingwebsites.com/stories/stearns_park_beac...

http://www.visitludington.com/stories/stearns_park_beach_on_lake_mi...

http://www.visitdowntownludington.com/stories/stearns_park_beach_on...

http://www.ludingtoninsuranceagents.com/stories/stearns_park_beach_...

http://www.westmichiganbusinessnetwork.com/stories/stearns_park_bea...

http://www.myadvantagemarketing.com/stories/stearns_park_beach_on_l...

http://www.scottvillebusinessnetwork.com/stories/stearns_park_beach...

http://www.midwestguidesonline.com/stories/stearns_park_beach_on_la...

http://www.ludingtonweddings.com/stories/stearns_park_beach_on_lake...

http://www.ludingtonicefishing.com/stories/stearns_park_beach_on_la...

http://www.westmichigantravelspecials.com/stories/stearns_park_beac...

 

So for two years, this mega-guide to local tourism on the web has been spreading the fact that we have lifeguards at our beach, while we don't.  Tourists from all over that use this site come here with the idea that there are lifeguards on the beach.  And they may just let their son or daughter go there without further supervision.  And if their son or daughter doesn't become a drowning statistic, they may just get in trouble and have someone else go into the water to help and wind up drowning.  Someone like Anthony Goldsmith who paid the ultimate price for our City Hall's penny-pinching and lack of vision.  And, maybe, the lack of truth in advertising.  

Should the family of Mr. Goldsmith want to recover some of the financial security that Anthony provided for them, they should have an excellent case, but unfortunately, they cannot adequately replace the man.

[Willy]

 I can see how this scenerio took place. I'm sure these adds are old and reflected the fact that lifeguards were on duty at the time they were designed. I'm assuming noone informed them that lifeguards were no longer available. As far as letting your kids go to the beach without supervision, it doesn't matter if lifeguards are there or not because it is the parents responsibily to assure that their kids are in a safe situation.

[XLFD]

The ads were last updated on August 16,2011 or August 30, 2011, according to Google.  But they haven't been proofread for awhile.  These are low maintenance sites but have a fair amount of traffic pass through.  I'm sure this sentence has just flew under the moderator's radar since their inception, which was probably at latest in mid-2009. 

[AQUAMAN]

It's pretty much relative to the age of the kids, imho. Little ones do need supervision, whereas, teenagers may need it too, but won't put up with it, lol. I heard last week where the parents of the drowning victim in Traverse City marina have filed a $50Million lawsuit there. Just the echo of that case should ring a bell of common sense and legitimacy here to reactivate our own Lifeguards, but I bet that too falls on "deaf ears".

[masonco]

Aquaman

 

You are right...the lawsuit will fall on deaf ears. How many have heard about the student who was fined almost $700,000 for downloading 30 songs. Will that stop individuals from downloading "free" songs into their MP3 players?? Nope..

 

Again...Ludington city will not open their eyes and consider they could face a lawsuit because the traverse city case involved electrical neglect not lifeguard neglect. Also all they have to do is have ONE HIDDEN sign that says swim at your own risk and technically hey are covered.