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Tourists fuel spike in local water rescues

MANISTIQUE — The Manistique Public Safety Department is alerting the public of the number of water rescues conducted this year by area law enforcement. There has been a common denominator in all of the rescues — tourists — unaware of the dangers of high winds and surf in local waters and the unusually warm weather which has enticed them into the water, according to Manistique Public Safety Department Director Kenneth Golat.

On July 29 at 4:20 p.m., Manistique Public Safety officers were dispatched to the waters of Lake Michigan off Carl Bradley Park to rescue a tourist paddleboarder in distress who had been pushed far offshore by the north winds which were escalating. Officers deployed the department’s rescue craft and recovered the paddleboarder safely about 500 yards offshore. He was then transported to the Manistique West Side Boat launch where he was evaluated for hypothermia by EMS and released.

On August 10 at 2:54 p.m., Manistique Public Safety, the Michigan State Police, Michigan DNR and Schoolcraft County Sheriff’s Department were dispatched to the report of a woman drowning in Indian Lake, off the east shoreline near LeDuc Road. Upon arriving on scene, officers determined there were actually four females in distress as they had been out in the water in high waves when their float tubes capsized. All four females from downstate Michigan made it to shore safely and were then reunited and assessed for hypothermia by law enforcement and Manistique EMS.

On August 11 at 2:49 p.m., area law enforcement were dispatched to the Range Street Boardwalk Beach in Manistique for persons drowning. Upon arriving on scene, A Michigan State Police trooper, Schoolcraft County Sheriff Department deputies, and bystanders went into the water and recovered a woman and two young children who had been caught in the rip current and all were in danger of drowning. The woman was transported by Manistique EMS to Schoolcraft Memorial hospital and was later released after receiving treatment. It should be noted that these persons were not very far off shore (approximately 75 feet) when they became endangered, lost control of their situation, and had to be rescued.

“Local law enforcement agencies request that all local citizens and visitors to our area be extremely cautious and aware of the dangers of our inviting waters as this warm summer comes to and end. This is a particularly dangerous time of the year, as frequent high southerly winds will develop, and rip current dangers will exist on Lake Michigan off all Manistique and Schoolcraft County beaches,” Golat said.

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