Canada, US coast guards warn against ‘significant’ risks as 2026 Port Huron Float Down approaches

The unsanctioned event is scheduled for August 16 on the St. Clair River, with participants expected to travel roughly 7.5 miles (12 kilometres) along the waterway.

The Port Huron Float Down is an annual, unsanctioned event where thousands of people on inner tubes, rafts, and kayaks float down a 7.5-mile stretch of the St. Clair River from Lighthouse Beach in Port Huron, Michigan, to Marysville

In a joint statement, the Canadian Coast Guard and U.S. Coast Guard said the event presents "significant" risks to participants and other waterway users and urged the public not to take part.

The agencies said the combination of strong currents, potentially changing weather, cold water, large crowds and a lack of life jackets can create difficult conditions for emergency responders and could result in serious injuries or deaths.

Participants who choose to take part despite the warnings are being urged to wear a properly fitted personal flotation device approved by the U.S. Coast Guard or Transport Canada and to avoid consuming alcohol.

The Coast Guards also advised participants to use the buddy system, remain close to shore and outside the navigation channel, carry a paddle and file a "Float Plan" with someone who is not participating in the event.

The agencies warned that recent Float Downs have recorded water temperatures of about 60-66 F (17-19 C). They said exposure to water below 70 F (21 C) can cause hypothermia, potentially impairing a person's ability to swim or assist themselves.

Early symptoms of hypothermia can include shivering, loss of coordination and impaired judgment, according to the Coast Guards.

The agencies also warned that alcohol can intensify the effects of the marine environment, increasing fatigue and susceptibility to hypothermia while impairing judgment, vision and reaction time.

Previous Float Down events have resulted in major search-and-rescue operations.

In 2014, a 19-year-old experienced swimmer drowned during the event, prompting a search involving the Canadian and U.S. Coast Guards as well as local, state and federal agencies. The search was suspended after 36 hours.

In 2016, high winds and heavy rain resulted in about 1,500 participants requiring assistance after reaching the Canadian shoreline at Sarnia and Corunna, Ontario, according to the Coast Guards.

Some participants were stranded without identification, money or means of communication, while others suffered injuries or hypothermia.

The Coast Guards said emergency agencies have trained personnel but limited resources and cannot be everywhere at once.

The agencies urged waterway users to look out for one another, wear life jackets and avoid alcohol while on the water.

Under Transport Canada's authority, restrictions on vessel traffic will be in effect on Aug. 16 from noon to 6 p.m. EDT because of the risk of motorised vessels colliding with people participating in the Float Down.

The Coast Guards said participants should also mark flotation devices with their names and contact information and remove all floats from the river after completing the course to prevent abandoned equipment from triggering unnecessary search operations.