There have already been 13 drownings and counting in Lake Michigan in 2025, according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.
As refreshing as Lake Michigan can be, particularly during hot temperatures, summer is the best time to brush-up on basic water safety. GLSRP has issued numerous safety tips to consider, including knowing the signs of drowning and flip, float, follow.
The signs of drowning
Signs of drowning include facing shore, mouth at water level, head tilted back, body vertical and a climbing ladder motion.
According to GLSRP, drowning is almost always a deceptively quiet event, not the violent, splashing, waving and yelling that most people expect.
If a person is exhibiting signs of drowning, they could submerge in less than 60 seconds. After two minutes of submersion, a drowning victim has a 94% survival rate if recovered with proper CPR and artificial respiration. Around three minutes, the heart may stop. After four minutes, irreversible brain damage begins. Around ten minutes, a drowning victim has a 14% survival rate.
How to save yourself from rip currents
If you feel yourself caught in a current, the key is flip, float and follow. The steps include flipping over onto your back, floating to keep your head above water (calming yourself and conserving energy), and traveling perpendicular to the flow until you reach shore or safety.
According to experts, you should never swim against the current. Rip currents occur at any beach with breaking waves. The waves push water over sandbars toward shore, then recede seeking the path of least resistance.
Other important safety tips
Always heed the warning flags at public parks. According to the Michigan DNR, green means good, yellow means proceed with caution, red means swimming is strongly discouraged, and double red means access to the water is prohibited.
You can also designate a water watcher to supervise your group in the water, and familiarize yourself with local signage and safety tools.
— Cassidey Kavathas is the politics and court reporter at The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at ckavathas@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @cassideykava.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Water safety tips and tricks: How to protect yourself at Holland State Park
Reporting by Cassidey Kavathas, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
