(WWJ) Authorities are out with a strong warning to be careful around Lake Michigan as they say drownings have reached a 10-year high.
A total of 53 people have drowned so far in Lake Michigan this year, WWJ Newsradio 950's Beth Fisher reported on Tuesday.
The most recent was Sept. 21, when a 12-year-old boy visiting Michigan with his family was swept off a pier in Frankfort.
City of Frankfort Fire & Rescue said the body of Lane Frame of Manchester, Tennessee, was found two days later, next to the pier in about 10 feet of water.
Officials say 434 people have drowned in Lake Michigan since 2010; and across all of the Great Lakes, there have been 931 drownings in the past ten years.
The National Weather Service, which is a good source for updates about Lake Michigan conditions, says large waves on can make swimming difficult and can tire even a strong swimmer quickly. Structural currents, which form along piers, can quickly sweep swimmers out into deeper water along the pier structure. Dangerous rip currents — powerful channels of water flowing quickly away from shore, most often at low spots or breaks in sandbars — can pull swimmers underwater.
One piece of advice to stay safe: Check the flags at the lake.
A red flag means dangerous swimming conditions, yellow means caution, and green means it's safe to swim.
