The Great Lakes are packed with ice, and there's 6 months until the historical memorial swim honoring the tragedy that occurred 50 years ago when the Edmund Fitzgerald was lost in Lake Superior. But the team is busy planning and preparing for the Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Swim.
Jim Dreyer's dream will become reality this summer with dozens of swimmers participate in a relay to complete the route and honor the sailors who were lost. This project is a massive undertaking spanning over 400 miles of open water from the location of the Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior to the final Port of Detroit Belle Isle Beach. The event is scheduled to take a month to complete with 17 stages, each with contingency plans and backup days built into the schedule to accommodate weather delays and other unknowns.
An event of this size and complexity take a lot of planning and a significant network of resources to make it successful. Though there are so many unknowns and variables that are out of our control, Jim has entered the final stages of planning we are proud to partner with him once again to bring our knowledge, expertise and resources alongside him and the swimmers to develop an crisis management plan for the entire event.
The focus of this CMP will rely heavily on a network of medical professionals and local resources to assist in not only tracking the event, preparing for emergencies but also staffing the boat with the right assets to keep the crew, swimmers and Jim safe.
We are taking steps to outfit the boat with the right equipment so that they have lifesaving tools on hand each and every stroke of the way. This kit will be specially outfitted with guidance from Raven's Medical Director, Dr. Jon Krohmer, and medic Tim Webb. This equipment paired with some training for the crew and onboard emergency medicine personnel will create a layered approach to protecting everyone involved.
Beyond EMS Raven's team will advise and work on other items such as ground logistics, communications, weather monitoring and backup personnel for a variety of roles. All of this will come together in what is likely to be one of the most dynamic and challenging projects in Raven's history. BUT we believe in the mission and believe in the swimmers who are stepping up to honor the memories of those unfortunate sailors who were lost 50 years ago in Lake Superior.
There's a lot of work to do yet, but we'll remain diligent in our planning so that the swimmers can focus on their mission and have "peace of mind" that they are well supported.
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