If you see a huge flurry of emergency activity at Silver Beach during your lunch break today, it will be very realistic in nature, but it will, in reality, be a test. Coast Guard authorities, police, park rangers, marine divers and others will all take part in two full blown live drills at Silver Beach County Park in St. Joseph today following a mock drowning incident.
St. Joseph Today Executive Director Whitney Behnke has alerted the entire merchant community following receipt of a heads-up notice from St. Joseph City Manager John Hodgson. The merchant promotion agency wanted to make sure that all retailers, restaurants and other businesses in the community were aware that today's test is only a drill, although it will look very, very realistic in nature with all of the outward trappings of an emergency complete with lights, sirens, Coast Guard and Marine Division boats, Coast Guard helicopters, dive teams and more.
Silver Beach Park Rangers will announce at the beach that what sunbathers are seeing is a mock drowning drill, and not the real thing, but it is an excellent idea to hold the training sessions during prime season so people can see just how serious the situations can be, especially in light of the recent drowning death of a popular Benton Harbor student athlete and scholar who was pier jumping and failed to resurface last weekend.
So…if you see the major rush of activity or hear the sirens and see a chopper overhead, remember…this is only a test…but at any time could be very, very real in nature.
Share the news with friends who are headed to the waterfront on this first day of summer in Michigan's Great Southwest to help keep anxiety levels low during the drills.
