MILWAUKEE – After responding to over 200 Search and Rescue incidents around Lake Michigan throughout the month of August, the U.S. Coast Guard is urging the public to use caution when spending time on the water, Labor Day weekend.
The Coast Guard has seen an alarmingly high number of Search and Rescue cases and deaths throughout the month of August.
“In 2015 we responded to 600 Search and Rescue cases and had 18 deaths on Lake Michigan; in August alone, we responded to a third of those and had 11 deaths” said Cmdr. Leanne Lusk, Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan’s search-and-rescue coordinator. “This abnormally high number can be contributed to a period of rough weather along the lakeshore and an influx of ill prepared boaters and beachgoers.”
During the busy summer months, Lake Michigan beaches become a popular destination for folks who want to enjoy the water using paddlecraft, such as kayaks and stand-up paddleboards, which are included in the fastest growing segment of recreational boating.
This leads to an increase in inexperienced boaters and beachgoers entering the waters of Lake Michigan during times of potential danger.
These dangers consist of things like small craft advisories during periods of high wind and seas, powerful rip currents along the beaches, and large waves washing over piers, jetties and breakwalls.
In light of recent events, the Coast Guard asks everyone who is enjoying time in or around Lake Michigan to use caution when warned of dangerous conditions.
“Lake Michigan is a large, powerful body of water, just like an ocean, and it needs to be treated as such” Lusk adds. “Please take a look at all posted weather watches and warnings before going out on the water.”
The National Weather Service at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration posts daily forecasts which highlight weather warnings and advisories for a given area at http://www.weather.gov/. More information about beach hazards and rip currents can also be found www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov.