Port Huron Float Down - August 21, 2016

[Serious News]

Once again, officials are urging Port Huron Float Down participants to wear a life jacket on Sunday.

The annual float down launches at 1 p.m. from Lighthouse Beach and drifts along 7.5 miles of the St. Clair River to Chrysler Beach in Marysville.

The U.S. Coast Guard has closed the St. Clair River to all motor vessel traffic from noon to 8 p.m. that day.

But still, a river free of boats does not mean floaters should leave their life jackets at home, said Lt. Ben Chamberlain, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Detroit public affairs officer.

“Anyone participating under the age of 18 is required to wear a life jacket,” Chamberlain said. “But the moving water can present a dangerous situation, so everyone should wear one, that’s our biggest tip.”

The U.S. Coast Guard will be working alongside local agencies such as Port Huron police and fire departments, the St. Clair County Sheriff Department and Marine Division, as well as the Canadian Coast Guard.

Up to 5,000 floaters have participated in the Float Down in previous years, and each year first responders help many participants avoid risks.

Chamberlain said in addition to a life jacket, participants should bring identification in a water-proof bag, avoid alcohol use and have a Float Down plan.

“Let someone know where you will be and have an established pick-up and drop-off point,” Chamberlain said. “Another thing we run into are floaters who sometimes end up on the Canadian shoreline. If they don’t have an ID or passport, it makes it difficult to get back.”

Some floaters choose to cut their trips short, and leave the river at points north of Chrysler Beach. Those who do should decide where they're leaving the river before setting sail, choosing a spot that is public or that welcomes floaters, and pre-arranging transportation.

Agencies on the water will assist in preventing participants from floating over to Canadian waters, but with as many as 5,000 participants, Chamberlain said that can be a challenge. Sunday's weather forecast isn't helping either, with brisk west-to-east winds expected for the afternoon. Temperatures in the 70s and rain are also expected.

Anyone in need of assistance can flag down any first responder on the water.

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/08/18/float-down-forecast-st-clair/88967216/

 

[Serious News]

The annual Float Down on the St. Clair River from Light House Beach in Port Huron to Chrysler Beach in Marysville is set for Aug. 21 at 1 p.m. If the weather is good, thousands of people in and on all manner of floatation devices are expected to bob downstream in the strong current of the St. Clair River.

The festive event has its detractors.

Last year, the U.S. Coast Guard warned the Port Huron City Council about the potential dangers of the unsanctioned event.

"As first responders responsible for the well-being of others, we recommend that people do not take part," USCG spokesperson Austin Ives said. "Our neighbors, friends and family members put themselves at significant personal risk by floating down this seven mile course. The fast-moving current, large number of participants, lack of life jackets, alcohol consumption, potentially challenging weather conditions, water temperature and limited rescue resources all conspire to create very difficult emergency response scenarios."

This year, officials from the city of Marysville are turning a cold shoulder to participants.

A resident suggested keeping River Road open north of the water plant to allow the floaters to get a ride home quickly after the event.

"Last year, River Road was closed from its north end to Huron Boulevard," Irene Sherrard told the city council on July 11. "Do you know what a cluster that was? They came in not only on the beach. They came in anywhere they could crawl up. They were waiting for their families or friends to pick them up. But their friends and families couldn't get there. There were people all around the (Junction) Buoy until 10 p.m."

Mayor Dan Damman noted that Marysville functions as an unwilling "end of the line" for the float down.

The trip takes between two and six hours depending on the weather conditions.

"We are trying to discourage people from allowing Marysville to be the end of the line and encourage people to get out north of Marysville," said Damman. "Access is going to be a problem for anyone looking to unload in the city of Marysville.

“Transportation will be a problem for anyone looking to unload in the city of Marysville... We will use every mechanism of law enforcement we have available to us to insure that disorderly people are dealt with, that people who are trespassing on private property are dealt with accordingly.

“The policing of this is a logistical nightmare. We wish it wouldn't end in the city of Marysville and we're trying to discourage it from ending in the city of Marysville."

"I say get them in and out of there as fast as you can," Sherrard said.

Council member Dave Barber, a retired firefighter, said River Road was closed for safety reasons.

"I believe it's closed because we couldn't get emergency vehicles down there and that's more of a problem than getting those people out," said Barber. "If we have a drowning or if we have somebody injured or if somebody along River Road has a medical emergency, we couldn't get our ambulances or a fire truck down there because the people packed the road two years ago with personal vehicles."

Damman also took a swipe at the notion that the Float Down is economically beneficial for the city.

"By the time people on that Float Down reach the city of Marysville, they're pretty well tuned up, if you know what I mean," said Damman. "They're not spending money (in Marysville) while they're throwing up on our streets... Last year, there was a guy who crawled out of the water that went up to a family barbecue and sat in a chair eating hot dogs."

Every year, neighbors find people sleeping on their lawns, the mayor said.

"That event is not the mechanism for people to explore what Marysville has to offer," Damman said.

http://www.voicenews.com/articles/2016/08/18/news/doc57ae3be837172384583708.txt?viewmode=fullstory

 

[Serious News]

 

[Serious News]

Thousands expected to take part in Port Huron Float Down

August 20, 2016

PORT HURON, Mich. (AP) — Officials are urging caution as thousands of people take to the St. Clair River in inflatable rafts or boats for the annual Port Huron Float Down.

The event starts at 1 p.m. Sunday from Port Huron's Lighthouse Beach. Participants drift down the river for about 7.5 miles, ending at Chrysler Beach in Marysville.

The Times Herald of Port Huron reports that the U.S. Coast Guard is closing the river to motor vessel traffic from noon to 8 p.m.

Lt. Ben Chamberlain says participants are strongly encouraged to wear life jackets, which are required for those under age 18.

First-responder agencies will be on hand to help prevent floaters from drifting into Canadian waters. But Chamberlain says that can be a challenge, with up to 5,000 people taking part.

___

Information from: Times Herald, http://www.thetimesherald.com

 

[Serious News]

Strong winds throw Port Huron Float Down participants off course

The annual Port Huron Float Down didn’t go as smoothly as participants were hoping Sunday.

Amid the festivities high winds and rain drove floaters off course and hundreds landed in Canada while many others were separated from their groups.

While a few thousand people came out to participate, the mass was not as large as the typical crowd.

Port Huron Police Sgt. Jason Barna said the event was hectic.

The float down started around 1 p.m. at Lighthouse Beach in Port Huron and wound its way down the St. Clair River to Chrysler Beach in Marysville.

The morning started with warm weather and clear skies, while the weather was predicted turn slightly windy with a few showers.

But the weather eventually grew to heavy downpours of rain and strong west winds.

“People have been reported missing, but we don’t know yet if they were just separated from their group due to the winds or if they are actually missing yet,” Barna said.

Barna said Port Huron Police and supporting units had their hands full with medical calls, possible drownings, people falling off rafts, getting out of the river on private land and people trying to hitch-hike to their cars.

Barna said so many floaters ended up in Canada that officials set up a refugee camp to screen anyone who landed on Canadian territory before sending them back.

Around 4 p.m. Sunday, Sarnia Police Service began receiving calls from floaters who needed assistance on the St. Clair River.

According to a news release by the Sarnia Police, “hundreds of people are being assisted by the Sarnia Police Service, Sarnia Fire Department, Lambton EMS, Ontario Provincial Police, Canada Customs and Border Agency, RCMP and Canada Coastguard water units, Sarnia Transit, Canadian Red Cross, security and fire personnel from the various chemical and petrochemical plants that border the St. Clair River, and members of the general public.”

Sarnia officials are assisting people out of the water, treating those in need of assistance, and then transporting American citizens back to U.S. Customs and Immigration via Sarnia Transit buses.

Still, the poor weather didn’t deter people from jumping into the water.

Tricia Frost, 26, of Roger City, drove two-and-a-half hours to participate.

“Last year during the float down we drifted to Canada because we used a kiddie pool and couldn’t control it,” Frost said. “But it’s fun because you meet a lot of people and seeing the bridge is amazing and it’s great to be with your friends and family.”

Lydia Russell, 63, of Shelby Township, has wanted to participate for the last 10 years and she was finally able to.

“Something always comes up but I’ve heard so much about it and we have a big party planned afterwards,” Russell said.

Russell came prepared with a life jacket, oars, water and food.

Nancy Tatar, 49, of New Baltimore was eager to get in the water with her nephews. When she arrived it was still sunny with clear skies.

“My nephews convinced me to come,” Tatar said. “It’s something you do to get bragging rights.”

Tatar said they brought paddles to help them stay on course to avoid having to be picked up by the U.S. Coast Guard.

As of 8 p.m. Sunday, officials did not have concrete numbers regarding how many floaters were missing or drifted to Canada. Refer to www.thetimesherald.com for updates.

To report a floater missing call St. Clair County Central Dispatch at (810) 985-8115.

http://www.thetimesherald.com/story...-float-down-participants-off-course/89072392/

 

[Serious News]

Hundreds of Americans wash up illegally in Canada after river party

About 1,500 Americans floating down a river that separates the United States from Canada had to be rescued from the water when strong rains and winds sent them illegally into Canadian territory, the country's coast guard said on Monday.

The Americans were taking part in the annual Port Huron Float Down on Sunday in the St. Clair River, which runs between the U.S. state of Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario.

The winds blew the flotilla of inflatable rafts and inner tubes off course and toward the Canadian shore. Some rafts deflated, spurring a rescue effort by the Canadian Coast Guard as well as federal and provincial police, coast guard spokeswoman Carol Launderville said in an email.

Most "floaters" had to be rescued from the water, with many towed to shore, according to the coast guard.

"They were terrified of entering another country without documentation. No one carries their passport or any ID, and a lot were drinking alcohol," Peter Garapick, superintendent of search and rescue for the coast guard, told CBC television.

Some tried to swim back to the United States.

"We had to pull a lot of people out of the water and say 'no,'" Garapick said.

The Americans were gathered at Sarnia, Ontario, and bussed back to the United States by the city's public transit.

Sarnia police did not say whether anyone was charged in the incident and there were only minor injuries reported.

Launderville said the event has no official organizer and poses "significant and unusual hazards" due to the river's fast-moving current and participants' lack of life jackets.

A Facebook page for the event, which dates back more than 30 years in the city of Port Huron, west of the border from Sarnia, made a post Sunday night thanking Canadian authorities.

"You've shown us true kindness and what it means to be amazing neighbors!" the post read.

The Facebook page appears to be operated by a group named Port Huron Float Down, which says on its website it is not an organizer. The page's operators did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Ethan Lou in Toronto; Editing by Andrew Hay)

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...r-river-party/ar-BBvUP1A?li=BBnbfcL&ocid=iehp

 

[Bobcat]

Amateurs

 

[Ratickle]

Boden and I were invited to attend while we were over there shooting the Port Huron race. Our friends two places, where we shoot the event from, were at the lower end of the town, and were going to have a live band on shore for when the floaters came by.

I haven't talked with them since, but will check soon.