Fireworks over Lake Michigan

The local fireworks are launched from the pier on the south side of the mouth of the St. Joseph River, after a concert at a pavillion at the foot of the pier. We sat on the breakwater on the north side of the river and listened to the concert while watching hundreds of pleasure boats head out to the water. The water was quite calm, which led some people to think they could go out in little inflatable boats. The Coast Guard turned them back at the mouth of the harbor. Yes, the waves are small... but do you really want to be in a tiny inflatable, among hundreds of boats many times larger, in the dark after the fireworks?? One couple went out in an inflatable, and came back in a Coast Guard boat... wonder if they got swamped, or tried to refuse to return?

What we could hear of the concert was really excellent, and the fireworks were very enjoyable. There were some new types I hadn't seen before. The show was made a bit too exciting by two very low misfires, but no one was injured.

Now I'm enjoying a quiet morning while the rest of the family sleeps in.. watching the hummingbirds tank up for the day. One has a piece of debris caught on her leg; wish I could help.

What part of "unsafe" do people not understand?

Seven people drowned in Lake Michigan yesterday, in four separate incidents within a few miles of each other.

Because of budget cuts, none of the beaches in question has lifeguards. They all have a flag system, and clearly visible signs explaining the flags. Yesterday morning and afternoon, they were all flying red flags-- unsafe conditions, do not swim, undertow strongly possible. But people still swam; swam out of their depth; let their children swim while they sat on shore.

Three of the people died trying to save a 12 year old caught in an undertow. He was successfully rescued by other people. Sixty more people risked their lives forming a search chain to try to rescue the three who drowned.

After the first two incidents, park personnel were patrolling the beaches, announcing that there was dangerous undertow, that there had been several incidents, asking people not to swim, and most still stayed in the water, or returned within minutes. (The park employees have no authority to order people out unless there's a severe weather alert.)