Float Down was slow, but safe

The Port Huron Float Down attracted nearly 5,000 participants on both sides of the St. Clair River and took about six hours to complete, with many people bailing out early.

Officials arrested two people during the event, saved three lives and assisted 168 lives, said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Jodie Knox on Monday morning. In addition, first responders were able to locate two people who were reported missing.

"We have made two arrests today," Knox said on Sunday."One for disorderly conduct and the other person when being assisted was combative...for all local responders, it's very helpful if people are kind to responders. We try our best to triage and prioritize those that need help the most."

Knox said the one person who was saved was a Canadian woman pulled out of the water by the Ontario Provincial Police. 

"She was treading water holding her purse above her head and having a hard time staying above the water," Knox said.

The other two people whose lives were saved climbed up onto land near the Moose Lodge in Port Huron. Knox said both people swallowed water, but are OK now.

The other 168 people who were assisted either needed help getting back onto their raft or wanted to be pulled to shore.

Knox said 25 law enforcement agencies with over 60 boats assisted throughout the day including the Canadian Coast Guard, Ontario Provincial Police, St. Clair County Sheriff Marine Division, Port Huron Police, Port Huron Fire Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, St. Clair fire and police departments, Burtchville Fire Department, Marysville police and fire departments, among others.

There was less than one response boat for every 100 floaters.

Due to unfavorable winds, the Port Huron Float Down was expected to take six hours to complete.

The event began at 1 p.m. Sunday and stretched from Lighthouse Beach in Port Huron to Chrysler Beach in Marysville. 

"We (had) winds out of the south, causing people to float a lot slower than anticipated," Knox said. "We (advised) people to exit the water if they have not passed the Black River by 5 p.m., because they won't be able to make it to the end of the route by 8 p.m. when the shipping channel re-opens."

As of 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Knox said it appeared that the bulk of floaters had already passed the Great Lakes Maritime Center, where Knox was located. However, she said some were still floating by and even getting stuck at that location or floating back the opposite way.

The slow float times didn't discourage people from jumping in and having fun though.

Shane Huddleston, of Grand Rapids, floated down with his duck named Mango.

"He's my shadow," Huddleston said. "He'll stay with me the whole time. He's totally imprinted on me...He’s just going to hitchhike a ride on me the whole entire time,” he said. “He’s a lazy duck.”

Huddleston brought duck food and said Mango could drink river water. He said Mango can’t fly and wouldn't swim away.

Huddleston wanted to bring Mango last year, but Mango had an injured leg from a fall down a few stairs. The pair go lazy river tubing in Grand Rapids where Huddleston is from.

“He’s a pro at this,” Huddleston said.

Huddleston hatched Mango, who quacked and nibbled passerby as he waited to launch.

Karen Kieppe, of Florida, said it is her third year participating. Kieppe is staying at a family cottage in St. Clair.

Kieppe said in a prior year she floated down on a trampoline that her group rigged to float. It was holding about 20 people and it ended up sinking and their party had to be pulled back by the U.S. Coast Guard to avoid their group floating to Canada.

"Now it (is) a good memory," she said. "But at the time, it was pretty dramatic. But it was fun. We're back."

Pamela Healy participated in the Float Down for the first time last year and ended up in Canada.

“They were really polite,” she said of the Canadians. “We were kind of obnoxious.”

Morgan Thompson did not float to Canada last year. She said she tried to stay near the American border and got out at the Moose Lodge. This is her seventh Float Down.

“We’re going to try to make the whole way, but it never happens,” Healy said.

Greg Hoffman and Bill Wells said they created the first organized Float Down in 1977 by putting up fliers at local businesses and in other cities. The first year attracted 12-15 people. By the third year, 200 people participated.

“Back then, it was all tractor tires and car tires,” Wells said. “We didn’t have these fancy floats.”

In 1979, the Coast Guard tried to prosecute for organizing a regatta without a permit. Hoffman said he ignored the letter it sent and nothing came of it.

The same year, participants were hit by a storm.

“Right towards the end of the float, a big storm came in and hailed and blew us right over to Canada,” Hoffman said.

Steve Hoffman, Greg Hoffman’s brother, helped organize the event in the 1980s and was in the original Float Down. He passed away in 2010, and the group floated with a skeleton wearing a hat with Steve Hoffman’s name on it in his honor. They used to take his ashes along for the ride, but they sprinkled them in the river during last year’s Float Down.

Hoffman and Wells said the Float Down is important because it brings people to the community, is fun on the water and is affordable.

“Anyone with any means can go down the river,” Wells said.

Before floaters launched, U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Ben Chamberlain reiterated again how unsafe the event it.

“We will be there and provide as much of a safe environment as we can,” Chamberlain said. “But we think this is an inherently unsafe event as it is unsanctioned and there is no safety coordinator. While the weather is ideal, safety comes down to participants and whether they are wearing life jackets, have a plan in place and if they are able to direct their vessels.”

Contact Nicole Hayden at (810) 989-6279 or nhayden@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @nicoleandpig.