Rip Currents Be Aware, Swim with Care

On hot summer days, the waters of northern Lake Michigan sparkle invitingly along the popular route U.S.-2, which hugs the shoreline through most of Mackinac County. It’s only at heavily used swimming areas that visitors get a sense of potential danger.

Posted signs advise swimmers to use caution and warn of dangerous currents. Not far from each sign stands emergency rescue stations—stand-alone units complete with life vest, life ring, rescue board and solar powered cell phone programmed to dial 911.

“Lake Michigan can be deceiving,” says Michigan Sea Grant extension agent Ron Kinnunen, a member of the Mackinac County Water Safety Review Team, which established the stations following a drowning in 1998. “Conditions may look safe, but rip currents can develop. If you’re not prepared, you can find yourself in trouble pretty quickly.”

Rip currents are often associated with ocean beaches but also occur in the Great Lakes. These powerful currents can flow one- to two-feet per second, faster than an Olympic swimmer. In the past two years, 18 people have died along the shores of the Great Lakes, including seven in a single day on July 4, 2003 along southwest Michigan beaches.

The incidents have prompted Michigan Sea Grant to partner with state, regional and national organizations to raise awareness of rip currents. As conferences and media events take place nationally, more than 80 people gathered in St. Ignace in late April to learn the latest science behind Great Lakes rip currents and the importance of public awareness as the swimming season approaches.