Noah Johnson Daily Press Escanaba certified lifeguards Emily Moore and Annabelle Neumier monitor the Escanaba Municipal Beach on a sunny afternoon.

ESCANABA – As families and individuals head to local beaches, officials remind them to take precautions and respect the elements.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are over 4,000 unintentional drowning deaths each year across the United States.

A local aquatics director, parks director, water search and rescue team member, and lifeguards weighed in on how to stay safe this summer when heading out to the water.

At the Escanaba Municipal Beach, there’s a roped-off section in front of certified lifeguards that’s ideal for young or inexperienced swimmers.

“We know people go swimming outside that area. However, it’s hard for the lifeguards to watch an entire beach area versus literally what’s right in front of us. So we just encourage people to swim in the roped off area,” said Escanaba Parks and Recreation Director Kim Peterson.

The Northern Lights YMCA offers swim lessons and even water rescue lessons, which can come in very handy during the summer.

“Outside of that, when going out that day, make sure they swim in an area with lifeguards on duty. Having a life jacket that is Coast Guard approved, and avoiding things like water wings or any flotation devices that are not Coast Guard approved,” said YMCA Aquatics Director Isaac Carlson.

The Escanaba Marina and beach house offer life vests for check-out free of charge for the day.

“The marina has a lot of life jackets that were provided by Hurley Marine,” Peterson said.

Parents can take extra precautions by having their children wear a life jacket on the beach, not just when they want to swim to deeper waters.

Delta County Marine Deputy Jon Smith, who has 28 years of experience with water rescue, said he would put his children in life jackets when they were younger.

“We oftentimes would bring a life jacket to the beach with us and we would actually have them wear it, that way when they’re out in the water, if they fall over or we take eyes off of them for a second, at least they’re secured in a life jacket and able to float,” Smith said.

He said it may sound like an odd tip, but it’s something to give parents or guardians peace of mind when at the beach.

“When you’re at the beach, there’s all kinds of distractions that draw your attention away from watching them, so it’s just an added safeguard,” Smith said.

Lifeguards are stationed at the Escanaba Municipal Beach seven days a week, from noon to 7 p.m.

While they are certified and ready to jump into action in an emergency situation, lifeguards ask that parents keep a close eye on their children.

“It is definitely helpful when parents are just watching their kids or, like other kids, just kind of watching each other,” said lifeguard Emily Moore.

Moore echoed Peterson, encouraging the public to swim in the roped-off area.

“That’s definitely helpful for us to keep an eye on them,” Moore said.

When out in the water, it’s essential to respect the elements and be prepared in case conditions change.

“Our bay looks small because you can see across, and you can see from Escanaba to Gladstone and pretty much see around the bay, but that creates a false sense of security for for recreational users whether they’re swimmers or boaters – they underestimate the power of our lake and how fast (things) can change,” Smith said.

“We can go from a dead calm to two-foot waves in a matter of literally minutes.”

He added that the water, specifically the lakes, can be deceiving even to the most experienced boaters or swimmers.

“A lot of our rescues with boaters, we see that it was a nice sunny day, and then all of a sudden some weather came in or the wind picked up, and they underestimated the power. Even a lot of tournament fishermen comment on how it’s deceiving because it looks like just a calm, gentle bay, and yet it’s rough,” Smith said.

When out on the water or at the beach, the public should familiarize themselves with the signs of drowning.

Smith said that when a person is drowning, it’s not like how it is depicted on television.

In shows and movies, a person drowning (acting) typically calls out for help, but Smith said that’s not how it works in the real world.

“On TV we see the victim calling and hollering for help, but a person who’s actively drowning is usually, in most cases incapable of yelling and hollering because they’re gulping up water and they’re in in a panic for survival, and they usually cannot cannot call for help,” he said.

In a lot of cases, individuals drowning appear just to be splashing, when they are actually struggling to stay afloat.

“Oftentimes they look like they’re just out splashing in the water when they’re fighting for their lives,” Smith said.

Should a child or adult start to struggle in the water, lifeguards and first responders should be notified immediately.

“The biggest thing is to find someone certified, if possible. If they’re at the beach, alert one of the lifeguards immediately. Otherwise, generally we try to avoid having people try to rescue people that are struggling without proper training, as it can then put both people at risk,” Carlson said.

Smith agreed with Carlson and pointed to an example years ago when a person on a boat fell in and their friend attempted to save them.

“The rescuer became the victim and the victim actually survived,” Smith said.

He recommends that the public employ the reach, throw, row, go method.

“Reach for them if you can, throw something to them, or row to them if you can, and then if none of those are options, you need to go get help,” he said.

Additionally, it’s up to the person to use their best judgment to determine if they are capable of rescuing someone safely. Those without proper training could put the victim or themselves at risk.

Officials agree that when heading to the beach or the boat, pack the necessary supplies, such as water and sunscreen.

“The heat can really take the energy out of you, make sure you’re drinking plenty of water,” Carlson said.

Officials also ask the public to be mindful of trash on the beach and to clean up after themselves.

“Make sure you’re picking up after yourself,” said Escanaba lifeguard Annabelle Neumier.

“Don’t leave garbage on the beach. We want to keep Escanaba and Lake Michigan clean, we don’t want to fill it with litter, we want to make it nice for everyone to use.”