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Dead Body Found Off Lake Michigan

Author Anne Erickson
Getty Images / Elena_P

It’s always alarming to hear about a dead body being found, especially if it’s in an area that you frequent. Well, I was pretty surprised to hear that authorities discovered a dead body this week on a Lake Michigan beach south of Saugatuck. It’s the same beach that happens to be where some of my family lives. I’ve actually walked on the private beach many times where this body was found. It definitely creeps me out. But, Lake Michigan is a dangerous lake, so it shouldn’t be totally surprising.

Deputies are in the process of trying to identify a body discovered Wednesday morning (Feb. 14) on the Lake Michigan beach south of Saugatuck. According to a press release from the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office, the body likely came ashore on Lakeshore Drive south of Pier Cove Park in Ganges Township overnight. A homeowner called 911 around 8:20 a.m. after seeing the body.

According to the press release, authorities are investigating this as a suspicious death. That said, they also say that there were no apparent signs of foul play. The statement also says the body was likely in the water for “some time” and that because of the poor conditions of the remains, it was impossible to identify the body right away. Also, the only clothing the man was wearing were size 12 brown leather Converse All-Stars. A medical examiner is determining how the man died and trying to identify him.

Lake Michigan is actually the deadliest lake in Michigan. Moreover, My Michigan Beach has some advice to stay safe in the water this upcoming season. They say to, “Never swim alone; swim with lifeguards and/or water watchers present. Wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket appropriate for your weight and size and the water activity. Always wear a life jacket while boating, regardless of swimming skill.
Swim sober.”

Michigan Has the Deadliest Lake in the U.S.

  • Lake Lanier in Georgia

    According to USA By the Numbers, Lake Lanier in Georgia is one of the deadliest lakes in America and the deadliest in Georgia. They note that some believe, “Lake Lanier’s murky waters, a bottom littered with tree trunks and other debris, and an abrupt drop in the lake’s floor make it unsafe for swimmers.”

    Welcome to Lake Lanier, Georgia!

    Lake Lanier is one of America's favorite lakes. With several million visitors annually enjoying its recreational facilities, Lake Lanier is the most popular lake in the southeast. You will enjoy the time you spend at Lake Lanier. We guarantee it. Lanier is the largest lake ...

  • Mono Lake in California and on the edge of the Sierra Nevada

    According to AZ Animals, the Mono Lake is a dangerous one. They state, “Located in California, it is set towards the east and at the edge of Sierra Nevada.” They add that the fact the lake isn’t connected to any other body of water makes it so that “when chemicals get into the lake, they do not flow out but stay there and pollute the water. Sadly, the lake has built up an alarming concentration of arsenic. The water is now poisonous and toxic to humans and animals.”

    Welcome To Mono Lake

    Since 1978 the non-profit Mono Lake Committee has worked to protect Mono Lake, restore its tributary streams and surrounding lands, and educate the next generation about wise water use. We invite you to join us and our 16,000 members in protecting the Mono Basin for future generations.

  • Lake Mead in Nevada and Arizona

    Lake Mead is a reservoir formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River. It’s located in Nevada and Arizona, and it’s just east of Las Vegas. It’s dangerous, though. According to Wilk Jeffery’s “Wilks Journal of Travel Medicine,” the most international visitor fatalities has been recorded at Lake Mead. Many of these are drownings or car crashes.

    Lake Mead National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)

    Swim, boat, hike, cycle, camp and fish at America's first and largest national recreation area. With striking landscapes and brilliant blue waters, this year-round playground spreads across 1.5 million acres of mountains, canyons, valleys and two vast lakes. See the Hoover Dam from the waters of Lake Mead or Lake Mohave, or find solitude in one of the park's nine wilderness areas.

  • Lake Erie in Michigan and Ohio

    Even though Lake Erie is the smallest of the Great Lakes, it’s very dangerous. According to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, six people have already died in Lake Erie this year. That’s even more than Lake Michigan! The reason Lake Erie is dangerous is because it’s the shallowest of the Great Lakes, so it can warm and cool faster than other lakes, which can lead to volatile waters and also a major annual algae bloom in the middle of the lake.

    Lake Erie | Map, Location, Depth, & Facts

    Lake Erie, fourth largest of the five Great Lakes of North America. It forms the boundary between Canada (Ontario) to the north and the United States (Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York) to the west, south, and east. Learn more about Lake Erie in this article.

  • Lake Michigan in Michigan and Illinois - This is the No. 1 most dangerous lake in all of America

    Multiple sources list Lake Michigan as the deadliest lake in all of the U.S. AZ Animals has the lake listed at No. 1, as does Pond Informer and USA By the Numbers. According to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, five people have already died in Lake Michigan this year.

    Great Lakes - Lake Michigan

    It spans the entire west coast of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, and it is the only one of the five Great Lakes that is located entirely within the United States.

  • What about shipwrecks?

    According to AZ Animals, Lake Erie has been home to the most shipwrecks in the U.S. That’s creepy! “There are famous tales of shipwrecks on other Great Lakes, such as the haunting true story and song of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior,” they state. “But, it is Lake Erie whose icy, cold waters hold the remains of the most shipwrecks – with estimates of 500 – 2,000 wrecks. It is believed to have a greater density of shipwrecks than virtually anywhere in the world – even the Bermuda Triangle.”

    A Ship Graveyard in Lake Erie

    The shallowest of the Great Lakes has one of the greatest concentrations of shipwrecks in the world.

  • Understanding Lake Michigan Rip Currents

    Donielle Flynn of WCSX has this great story about rip currents in Lake Michigan. She also notes that most Lake Michigan Beaches don’t have lifeguards. You have to be really careful when nobody is watching over these lakes, so take those extra precautions this summer!

    Understanding Lake Michigan Rip Currents

Anne Erickson started her radio career shortly after graduating from Michigan State University and has worked on-air in Detroit, Flint, Toledo, Lansing and beyond. As someone who absolutely loves rock, metal and alt music, she instantly fell in love with radio and hasn’t looked back. When she’s not working, Anne makes her own music with her band, Upon Wings, and she also loves cheering on her favorite Detroit and Michigan sports teams, especially Lions and MSU football. Anne is also an award-winning journalist, and her byline has run in a variety of national publications. You can also hear her weekends on WRIF.

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