Danger of Unpermitted Marine Events
- chicagoharborsafety
- Jun 27
- 2 min read
For Immediate Release
Chicago Harbor Safety Committee (CHSC) addresses the danger of unpermitted marine events.
This past weekend was the first real day out on the water for many Chicago boaters. For some folks it may have been the first time on a boat out on Lake Michigan ever. It was a less-than-ideal day for boating as a small craft advisory was in effect.
At the same time, a very large marine event was taking place with thousands of attendees rushing to the harbors to get out on the lake. We see this every year in the area called the “playpen”. These highly promoted events like many others that take pl
ace during the Summer should go through the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) permitting process
This permit process protects the attendees through rigorous review and the development of a safety plan to protect the attendees on and off the water through checks and balances leaning toward safety. A communication plan and cancellation protocol due to safety concerns would have been created.
Land side, assuring adequate space for attendees to congregate and safely board is key. Without feedback from marina management a dock can be easily overwhelmed and become less safe for attendees.
The permit process would also allow local Law Enforcement and Search and Rescue to request additional resources for the event. Between the small craft advisory and sheer number of boaters in distress our Law Enforcement and Search and Rescue were simply put “Overwhelmed”.
There are many marine events that successfully go through the permit process every year. They are accountable, safety conscious and doing the right thing.
The Chicago Harbor Safety Committee (CHSC) is currently working with USCG, IDNR and the City of Chicago to review and strengthen the requirements for a special marine permit for large scale marine events. We are also working with our State Legislators to fortify boating laws to protect life on the water. We can't let this happen again.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and families of the victims from this past weekend and hope their memory will serve to inspire real change through harsher permitting requirements and accountability for event organizers.