Lake Superior Drownings

Lake Superior is an incredible body of water. Not only is it large and clear, but it can be completely calm one minute and unrelenting the next. We've been in a warm pattern since the end of the winter season and the water temperatures are warm. With our warm summer days, people are venturing into the waters to do some swimming. Typically Lake Superior is not a popular choice for swimming because the waters often stay cold. However, this year appears to be an exception. Buoy temperatures out in the center of the lake have been registering in the low to mid 60's. Usually it's a good 10 degrees cooler than that. So people have been taking advantage of the warm water temperatures, yet some of the outcomes have not been good.

Four people died yesterday when they drowned in rough waters along the Lake Superior shore. They include a 50 year old man and his 16 year old son from Oxford, MI who were swimming near the Grand Marais Harbor. Two teenagers, one from Felch, MI and another from Berkley, Illinois drowned off of Presque Isle in Marquette while they were body surfing. They lost control in the rough waves that pounded towards the shore. And two weeks ago, the head of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Rod Nilsestuen, drowned along Picnic Rocks in the city of Marquette during a period of strong rip currents. He was in the area helping build houses as part of Habitat for Humanity and went for a swim. Sadly, he became overcome by the strong rip currents that day.

Picnic Rocks in Marquette is an area notorious for strong rip currents. Over a dozen people have drowned in that area of Lake Superior through the years because of the dangerous swimming conditions. And during conditions we've experienced lately with strong, northerly winds, rip currents are even more pronounced. Any area of Lake Superior is susceptible to rip currents under the right conditions. It's a large body of water, one of the largest fresh water bodies in all the world. When the winds whip up, it certainly shows on the surface of the lake.

In lieu of the recent drowning at Picnic Rocks, the city of Marquette plans to stage a lifeguard at that beach and place a warning system for the various stages of rip currents that exist, hoping to prevent another person from drowning. As for other areas along the lake, it's important to take heed of conditions when they're at their worst. We are in the midst of our warm season and the water may seem tranquil. However, things can certainly change in an instant. It's better to stay as close to shore as possible while taking a swim and if you get caught in a rip current, swim parallel to the shore until the rip current releases you. Then, begin swimming towards shore. If you attempt to fight the rip current and immediately swim towards shore, you can quickly become fatigued and overwhelmed by the waves. Just some friendly advice when dealing with the worst that mighty Lake Superior has to offer.

If you're looking to find more information regarding these drownings from media sites, please check out these links:
WLUC-TV6 - Upper Michigan's Source
The Marquette Mining Journal