With the help from your signatures, we were able to get the city to start a task force. I pushed to include water safety experts and other relevant stake holders like Lurie Children’s Hospital, and Illinois Department of Natural Resources Coastal Managment Program. 

We have several policy including those on this petition, but have hit a small impass working with city agencies that are thinking from a mindset of cost and precident rather than common sense public safety needs. 

We continue to remind government officials a fact they can’t deny: another child died on a public park, during daylight hours, to a known hazard, and there were no safety measures in place. 

We have also been meeting with mayoral candidates and have the support of many. The changes we call for are even fiscally responsible considering the cost to tax payers for search and rescue (coast guard alone can run up to 27,000 an hour) and for ongoing medical care for near-drowning victims. The emotional cost is too much to calculate. 

We are proud, however, that the city seems onboard to host a water safety week in early June. As more becomes definite, I will post again. 

Please join our Facebook group, Chicago Alliance for Waterfront Safety, and you can also message me on twitter @HalleQuezada to partner in our work to end Great Lakes drownings.