Boy Scout building warning kiosks at beach where boy drowned in Conneaut
CONNEAUT, Ohio (WJW) – An aspiring Eagle Scout in Ashtabula County, who was upset about the drowning of a young boy in Lake Erie one year ago, has poured his heart and soul into a project to save lives on the lake.
It was on June 7, 2024, that a family from Summit County was enjoying a day at the beach at Township Park in Conneaut, unaware that a warning had been issued for dangerous rip currents on the lake.
Hunter Ebie, 11, was wading in shallow water near the shore when he was swept away by the currents and his mother nearly drowned as she tried to save him.
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After an exhaustive search, Hunter's body was found four days later.
John Repasky, 16, and his mother watched as the tragedy unfolded. They say it was heartbreaking, but they were also angry and disappointed that Ebie's family did not know about the danger they were in.
'I felt very upset with how there's just not information that can help people with that, the currents on the lake, and I felt that something needed to change,' John said on Thursday.
'It was devastating,' his mother, Bri Repasky, added. 'I didn't know there was a warning either and I live here, but I also know that when you pull up and waters are rough and they look like that, it's not safe.'
John decided to launch a crusade to improve safety at the lakefront park.
At a public meeting in Conneaut three days after the drowning, he told the audience, 'this has happened at least once per year and I believe that many of us can agree that it needs to stop.'
John is a Boy Scout. As part of his project to become an Eagle Scout, he raised funds to building a series of kiosks that will be placed along the beach. The kiosks are designed to warn visitors about dangerous currents and provide QR codes to access current weather conditions and information about CPR.
The project is designed to prevent tragedies like the death of Ebie.
'It always brings at a least a bit of a tear to my eye, and that's why we're naming this whole thing the 'Hunter Project,'' John said.
'I am incredibly proud of him. Anytime someone can turn a tragedy into something that helps others and saves lives, it is impressive,' his mother said.
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Until John got involved, the only warning provided to visitors to the beach at Township Park were signs that read, 'no lifeguard in this area, swim at your own risk.'
After the teen began his campaign to prevent the loss of life, the park board decided to add life preservers along the beach.
Some Conneaut residents are calling the decision the 'John Repasky effect.' He calls it the 'Hunter Ebie effect.'
'If I could save just one life or go one year without somebody drowning, that would be the greatest success I've had so far in my life,' he said.
John's new warning kiosks will be unveiled in a ceremony at the Lakefront Park on June 21. Among those attending will be Elbie's family.
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