If you notice that the life ring kiosks installed along North Pier this year are zip-tied closed don’t worry, the ties are designed to be easily snapped to give access to the life-saving equipment.

The life ring kiosks were installed on the pier and near the mouth of the Pike River this year.

The zip ties created confusion when a man fell from the pier last week.

The man was pushed from the North Pier during the Punx on the Pier event last weekend and began struggling in the water. A person watching tried to grab one of the life rings from a kiosk to toss to the man, said Chelsea Tappa, 29, who was on the pier.

“He grabbed it, tried to run with it and got yanked back,” she said.

Tappa and the man who tried to grab the life ring ended up jumping into the water to pull the struggling man from the lake. She said the man in the water could not swim and was panicking. They were able to pull him out without harm.

Tappa said she was concerned because her friend could not get the kiosk open to get to the life ring. She said the kiosk door was zip-tied. “What good is it if you can’t get it off the pole,” she said.

Jeff Warnock, Kenosha parks superintendent, said the life ring kiosks do have zip ties on the latch as part of their design to protect against the doors being opened by wind and elements. But the ties are designed to be easily snapped by anyone trying to get access to the rings inside.

“You can pull them with your finger,” Warnock said. “Anyone over 12 could break them.”

The Kenosha News checked on the ties and found they were simple to open.

Three life ring kiosks were installed on the North Pier at Kenosha Harbor this year, along with one on the south side of the harbor channel and two near the mouth of the Pike River. The push for additional safety measures on the Lake Michigan lakefront came a series of drownings last summer, the life rings and throw ropes installed in areas were strong currents make the lake particularly dangerous.

In addition to the life rings, Kenosha Police added flotation throw bags to the standard equipment carried by officers in squad cars. Public safety organizations and Kenosha Unified School District also teamed withithe Kenosha YMCA to create water safety programs for local middle and high schools.

Warnock said the parks department checks the kiosks daily to make sure the safety equipment is there and undamaged, and said the breakable zip ties are replaced nearly daily.

Although there were concerns that the life rings would be stolen or vandalized, Warnock said there have been few problems.