5 Wisconsin drownings in 2 weeks spark water safety concerns

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After five drownings in Wisconsin in two weeks, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources spoke out Sunday on the importance of wearing a life jacket and having a designated driver.

MILWAUKEE - After five drownings in Wisconsin in two weeks, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources spoke out Sunday, Aug. 6 on the importance of wearing a life jacket and having a designated driver.

Without the proper safety steps, summer fun can be deadly.

In Wisconsin, there are a lot of ways to beat the heat, and going to the beach is one of them.

"We're seeing people voluntarily jumping into the water to cool off," said DNR Boating Law Administrator Darren Kuhn.

Kuhn said Sunday the DNR has been busy.

"The anomaly is that we've had all these fatalities in a week or so," Kuhn said.

Kuhn noted at least five fatal incidents on the water in the last couple of weeks, and it's not the currents that caused them.

"Alcohol was involved in probably half of them," said Kuhn.

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A Milwaukee man, 27, died July 29 after an accident involving a jet-ski and a boat on Pine Lake. On Aug. 3, Waukesha County crews found the body of a missing kayaker. Investigators say he was not wearing a life jacket.

On Aug. 2, a paddleboarder went missing at Harrington Beach State Park. As of Sunday, crews were still looking for the 49-year-old woman.

Kuhn said Sunday two other swimmers drowned recently – one on Big Green Lake and the other in Waupaca County.

"Alcohol-induced poor judgment," said Kuhn. "I believe one the other ones, it was just trying to relieve from the summer heat and making a mistake."

The DNR urges anyone on the water to leave the alcohol at home or get a designated driver. Kuhn also says to wear a life jacket.

"Back in the day, life jackets were ugly and bulky and hot," said Kuhn. "That's just not the case anymore – every shape and size, every color of the rainbow."

The next time you need to cool off or head out to on the lake, the DNR hopes you'll remember these simple but lifesaving steps.

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