Whether you’re a casual swimmer or an athlete, Michigan’s Great Lakes, which are often referred to as inland seas, are not to be underestimated. There were approximately 94 drownings across all the Great Lakes in 2024, an increase from 85 in 2023, according to unofficial data gathered by the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.
Since its founding in 2010, the 501(c)(3) organization, whose mission is “Saving lives!,” has recorded more than 1,300 drownings across all five lakes.
Not all Great Lakes beaches are equal, however. Ron Olson, the chief of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Parks and Recreation Division, says those numbers don’t accurately represent what goes on at designated state park beaches but rather a cumulation of incidents that have occurred, whether that’s on private land, public property, breakwalls, etc.
Among the 36 million visitors to Michigan state-operated beaches in 2024, only one drowning incident occurred, Olson says; this was at Ludington State Park in a non-designated swimming area where “No swimming” signs were present due to the strong currents.
“The waves and everything might be fun to do,” Olson says, but rip currents are a challenge that “even an Olympic swimmer can’t beat.”
But designated swimming areas can also get rough, so that’s why a beach flag warning system was implemented at many of the state parks in cities like Grand Haven, Holland, and Bay City. Colors range from green, which indicates calm conditions, to double red, which was added in 2022 and allows the state to close off water access when conditions become too dangerous.
There are no lifeguards at state parks, so observing these flags and knowing their meaning is just as important as staying in designated swimming areas.
In 2023, three people drowned at state park beaches, including one at Warren Dunes State Park in July. In that instance, 2-foot waves prompted a yellow flag, which indicates medium hazard and warns visitors to watch for strong currents and high waves, approximately one hour before the incident.
SwimSmart towers were also installed at Grand Haven State Park in Ottawa County in 2024 to improve emergency response time. Visitors can open the life ring cabinet situated by the water, prompting alerts to five different locations in the state park to notify DNR staff of an emergency. At the same time, the Ottawa County Central Dispatch is notified to send out emergency responders. A push button is also available to facilitate two-way communication between visitors and 911 operators, who can observe the situation through the
cameras of four communication towers. Last season, there were two events in which the towers were used, resulting in response times of less than two minutes and positive outcomes.
“We’ve done a lot of education, which I think has helped a lot in the last five or six years to minimize emergencies,” Olson says. “We’ve worked very closely with the local fire departments and others to work on jointly messaging water safety.”
This story is a part of our Insider’s Guide to Michigan Lake Towns. Read the full story here.
This story originally appeared in the July 2025 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Click here to get our digital edition.
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