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kayreSeven 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.)
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.)
