Lake Michigan Drownings Up 80 Percent This Year

The last few years have been deadly on Lake Michigan, but this year is shaping up to be the deadliest of all.

The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, which keeps track of drowning fatalities in all five of the Great Lakes said this week that Lake Michigan drowning deaths were up 80 percent over this time last year.

In 2018, GLSRP said there had been 15 drownings in Lake Michigan as of July 30, but so far in 2019 there have 27 drownings after a rough week which included a Holland man drowning off the Ottawa County coast Sunday.

In 2018, there were a total of 117 drownings recorded in the Great Lakes with 43 occurring in Lake Michigan.

During offshore winds, the water at the shoreline can be deceptively calm, but the farther one gets from shore, the winds become stronger and the water can become choppy.

Rough conditions with high winds out of the southwest will keep swimmers on their guard again Monday and Monday night, as red flag warnings are up again.