The Great Lakes are a source of Michigan pride.
Who didn’t learn “HOMES” (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior) in their school days? I remember it like it was yesterday. It’s a Michigan summertime rite-of-passage to head Up North or West to our chosen lakes and make the most of summer. Some of my favorite memories of being in the water of one of our Great Lakes. The thing that doesn’t get mentioned much is the need for education and respect for the Great Lakes, particularly when on the beaches of Lake Michigan. Understanding Lake Michigan rip currents is important.
I was recently on South Beach in South Haven… August 9th, 2022. Two unresponsive swimmers were carried out of the water; neither survived. I watched as two people were desperately given CPR on the beach and taken away in ambulances, praying that by some miracle they had survived. It was beyond heartbreaking. I watched the boy’s mother crumple to the ground on the beach when she realized what had happened and there was nothing anyone could do. As a parent, it hit me hard. These drownings were most likely the result of rip currents.
Most Lake Michigan Beaches Do Not Have Lifeguards
I contacted the South Haven Visitors Bureau and The Chamber of Commerce. I suggested they raise the price of beach parking to help cover the cost of bringing in lifeguards for North and South beaches. Kate Hosier, the chair of the South Haven Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors returned my call. The response: “It’s not that easy.” She said they had tried to bring in lifeguards but couldn’t find enough staff. Kate said that they had “discussed it as a community” last year and they found that lifeguards were not warranted. She also told me that “people can drown when lifeguards are on duty too.” While I appreciate that Kate returned my phone call, she was not as receptive as I had hoped. I was left with a feeling of “mind your own business.”
In researching this topic, I found that Muskegon started charging for parking in 2020 and it has raised a million dollars in its second year (2021). If I had to pay $15 dollars to park (instead of the current fee of $10 a day), I would gladly pay that to have lifeguards. Before we get into that, let’s all get some lifesaving knowledge:
Understanding Lake Michigan’s Rip Currents
What Is the Flag System?
Green means good weather, yellow is caution, and red means stay out of the water. The beaches have the flag somewhere on the beach. Most beaches have a flag system. I wasn’t aware of it on South Beach in South Haven until August 9th when the couple drowned. There’s one small flag up by the parking lot, but they do offer a text system too. Here’s the South Beach flag and signage. According to Kate Hosier, South Haven has “way more” signage than most of the Lake Michigan beaches.
South Haven’s South Beach flag and signage
To subscribe to the free Beach Flag messaging system, send a text message with the word “Beaches” to 888777. According to Brian Hinz, the SHAES executive director, “In a return message you will receive the current beach flag postings,” said Hinz. There’s also an option to get alerts whenever the flag goes to red. CLICK HERE for more on their system.
When the two people drowned on August 9th, the flag was yellow. It was changed to red after. The biggest hurdle with the flag system is being AWARE of it… especially tourists who aren’t aware of the very real dangers of RIP CURRENTS.
South Haven
I love vacationing in South Haven. We’ve made it a destination for years, but I can’t go again until they get lifeguards. Rip currents have to do with waves, but they are more likely on beaches with piers and sandbars. It’s frustrating that the community doesn’t see this as more of an issue. It’s a tourist destination. The chances of everyone being properly educated on rip currents are not likely. The town is great, the people are friendly. I hate to not support the restaurants and hotels, but the message I got from the South Haven Chamber of Commerce did not sound like anything would be changing any time soon. These drownings aren’t drunk people doing stupid crap. These are vacationers going for a swim at 12:30 pm.
South Haven has every right not to change a thing, but I also have the choice to go to beaches where I think life has more value. The only way I can support the change I think is needed is to not take my dollars there (or to any Great Lakes beach that deems lifeguards “unwarranted”). I’ll miss it, but I don’t ever want to witness people’s lives being changed forever or outright ended when there was a chance that it didn’t have to happen that way. Maybe lifeguards can’t save everyone, but they can save someone. That is worth it, in my estimation.
South Haven
AGAIN: This is not meant to slam South Haven. It’s considered one of Michigan’s Best beaches. Maybe I wouldn’t be so upset if I hadn’t witnessed what I did, but I was there and I think it’s something that needs to change. I am not suggesting South Haven shoulder the entire burden of financing lifeguards, but to just say “it was decided that they (lifeguards) were not warranted?” No way.
