New warning on beach rescues and how to help someone struggling in water

As we approach one of the busiest beach weekends of the summer, "Good Morning America" is bringing attention to a danger we often see happening in the ocean and in the Great Lakes.

"Double drowning" can occur when people, often without any formal rescue training or equipment, jump into the ocean to rescue someone else and end up becoming victims themselves.

Far too often, those would-be rescuers, who are frequently parents trying to rescue their own kids, don't realize how hard it will be until it's too late. The United States Lifesaving Association warns about the dangers of untrained individuals attempting a rescue.

How to keep your family safe at the pool

To learn more about the situation, ABC News' Ginger Zee participated in a must-see demonstration to illustrate what it's like to try and pull someone out of rough surf.

Zee learned how to perform a beach rescue in a safer way, to help ensure that both you and your loved one make it back to shore alive.

What is "double drowning"?

The term "double drowning" refers to any situation where more than one person drowns. Every summer, it's seen when parents and brave strangers attempt water rescues often on beaches without lifeguards. While some are successful, far too often, neither the victim nor the rescuer survive.

Speaking to "GMA," Dave Benjamin, co-founder of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, explained the occurrence.

"They might have this confidence because they know how to swim," he said. "They make that instant decision to jump in, and that's, unfortunately, the moment when they learn (that) trying to stay above the surface while you're holding on to someone is a very difficult process. ... It turns into a double drowning."

Remembering a tragedy

Dennis and Shannon Kenning lost their son, Tom, at Porter Beach on Lake Michigan two years ago. Tom tried to rescue a young girl he didn't know after seeing her struggling in the water. While she ultimately survived, Tom did not.

"Tom, I could tell, was contemplating what to do. He handed me his hat and his phone and started walking toward the water's edge," Shannon Kenning said in an interview with "GMA."

"I think we all underestimate how turbulent, how strong this really is," Dennis Kenning added. "And that can overcome you so quickly."

Challenges to rescue someone from turbulent waters

To illustrate the difficulties of rescuing someone from turbulent waters and to warn against trying it unless it's a last resort, Zee teamed up with certified lifeguards at "Skudin Surf" at the waterpark inside the American Dream Mall, where choppy waves helped simulate the chaos of a real ocean.

Her first challenge was to rescue a 10-pound rubber diving brick, which lifeguards use to test their strength and endurance.

Zee dove in, grabbed the brick and made it back to shore. Although the waves were just two feet tall, she said "it was definitely a challenge, definitely hard. My legs are burning."

Raising the bar for her next challenge, Zee was tasked with attempting to save a 12-year-old competitive surfer named Huda.

Huda simulated a drowning, which can be dangerous to the person rescuing, because victims often panic and can drag the rescuer under the water.

"This time it feels much more real," Zee said after she plunged back into the water.

"As soon as I take on that weight, I immediately struggle to keep my head above water," Zee said, adding, "Fortunately, since this pool is shallow and I'm not fighting a rip current, I don't need to hold him up (for) very long."

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For good measure, two dads, Ryan and Mike, volunteered to give both scenarios a try.

Ryan successfully rescued both the brick and the drowning victim, but he admitted it was a lot harder than he thought.

"Even just swimming out there, my heart rate went up and the waves just kept pushing me back," he said. "It was very, very, very tiring."

Meanwhile, before Mike even made it to the brick, the dad of three signaled he was too tired to go on.

"You think you can do it, but the waves keep crashing, and you get tired ... and it's hard to just get to it," he explained. "My arms were hurting. I mean even now, my heart is like 'boom, boom, boom.' It's a lot more tiring than it looks like it would be."

Despite his struggle, however, Mike told "GMA" if this happened to his own kids, he'd still try to rescue them, putting his own life at risk. And that's the impossible dilemma: You can't tell a parent not to rescue their own child, and most parents would rather they drown than their child.

According to experts, the situation would have been more challenging if it took place in the ocean or the Great Lakes because of factors like wind and rip currents.

"In the pool, you have a controlled environment," Tom O'Neill from the United States Lifesaving Association said. "In the ocean, you are in (a) seemingly relatively safe position one moment and the next you're swept off your feet, and you're 50 to 100 yards out to sea, and you really don't know what hit you."

Bring a flotation device

A safer way to tackle the scenario includes bringing a flotation device, which could be as simple as a boogie board.

Cliff Skudin, a co-owner of Skudin Surf, shared how to best use a boogie board for safety.

"(Stay) far enough away from him that when you hand it to him, he's not on top of you. Safe distance, you say, 'Relax, I'm here to save you,'" he explained.

Both Zee and Mike both gave a rescue another go using the device.

Zee said the difference was staggering.

"Having the boogie board was everything," she said. "It made it so much easier. I was calmer. It felt like I had distance between me and the person. That distance gave me confidence."

The second time, with the help of the boogie board, Mike made it out to the brick and back to shore.

"It was still tiring, but it was a lot easier," he said.

Best practices for water rescue

Due to the extreme fatigue that Zee, Ryan and Mike experienced from the demonstration, the United States Lifesaving Association warns against regular folks attempting a rescue.

Instead, these are the steps recommended:

1. Alert a lifeguard and call 911.

2. If the victim is in a rip current, try giving instructions and tell them to:

- Stay calm.

- Float on your back and swim parallel to the shore (out of the current, never against it).

- If you can, once you're out of the pull of the rip, swim at an angle back to shore.

- If you're out of energy, flip on your back, float and wait for help.

3. If close enough, throw them something that floats like a boogie board, a pool noodle, beach ball or even a cooler.

4. If all else fails, while it is not recommended, experts say if you do attempt a rescue, do not go without a flotation device.

The importance of flotation

The "GMA" demonstration helps illustrate why floatation is so important at beaches and public access points.

In some parts of Florida, authorities have installed life ring stands as far as the eye can see so that flotation is readily available to anyone who needs it. In Brevard County, the flotation devices have been used more than 20 times so far this year to help prevent drownings. After flotation devices were installed, the number of drownings fell from 12 in 2023 to zero so far in 2024.

In Indiana and Illinois, a law has been passed that now requires life rings at Great Lakes public access points and beaches, including Porter Beach in Chesterton, Indiana, where Tom Kenning died. The life ring there was used earlier this week to save a life, and the Kenning family said if a life ring like that was available two years ago, their son might be alive today.

Like a fire extinguisher or AED, experts say life rings can be lifesaving tools that can be used until professional help arrives, assuming they can be used safely. Life rings are now required at public swimming pools and until they're required at all beaches, the public is encouraged to pack flotation devices in the event a rescue is needed.

When buying a life jacket for children, parents should look for "U.S. Coast Guard Approved" or "USCG Approved" in the product description. The U.S. Coast Guard has tips online about how to find an approved life jacket for different water-based activities.