Two children under age 10 were rescued after drifting away from the Lake Michigan shoreline and into deeper water on June 23.
The children were on a paddle board at Bender Park in Oak Creek when strong winds pushed them about one-quarter mile offshore, according to the Oak Creek Fire Department. Both children were wearing life vests.
“When there are higher wind, there’s nothing to break the wind, and it can also generate those large waves a lot of the times,” Oak Creek Fire Department Battalion Chief of Operations Scott Kasten said.
After receiving the distress call, the Oak Creek Fire Department sent its response team and also reached out to shared services partners, which included the South Milwaukee Fire Department, Kasten said. The Cudahy Fire Department also assisted in the rescue.
Advice on staying safe in Lake Michigan
Kasten cautioned against swimming in Lake Michigan altogether due to the dangerous waves.
“It looks appealing. I get it. On a day like yesterday, and this past weekend, I understand people want to cool off,” he said. “But if you are going to enter the water, no matter what you’re going to do, no matter what type of water, to tell someone that you’re going there and swim with a friend, someone else, so that you’re with a buddy.
“We never want to have people swimming alone, especially in open water, especially in the lake. Lake Michigan, is not friendly to swimming,” he added.
If you are going to go in the lake, Kasten advised to educate yourself on the conditions and your strengths as a swimmer beforehand.
He said the media does a good job reporting on wind conditions and the waves, but “rip currents are always present and can be present regardless of the wind conditions.”
“Open water swimming is a lot different (than in a pool). You encounter waves that can disorient you,” Kasten said. “Rip currents can pull you out and put you in a position a mile away from the shore, and now you have to somehow find your way back to shore.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Two children rescued June 23 after drifting out on Lake Michigan
Reporting by Jack Albright, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
