Lake Michigan is America's deadliest lake -- yet lifeguards are nowhere to be found [View all]

(Detroit Free Press) Lake Michigan is the deadliest lake in America, statistics show. Yet, there are no lifeguards at 99% of our state's public beaches, all while coastal towns rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars in beach parking fees, and our state collects millions more in vehicle park permits and billions in tourism dollars.

None of that money, however, is being spent on lifeguarding a lake that has claimed more than 640 lives over the last 15 years.

Though public pressure and ongoing legal disputes in places like the city of South Haven appear to be gaining momentum in the fight to put trained eyes back on our powerful and often unpredictable Great Lake, any move to improve beach safety along Michigan's western shoreline may still be at least a year away.

Across Michigan, beach safety advocates and grieving families have been pushing for lifeguards for years — at public meetings, in court and more recently in campaigns on Facebook. However, most towns and state officials have opted for cheaper alternatives — like beach flags and light signals — which could be sending an unintended message you won't see on any Pure Michigan billboard: Enter Lake Michigan at your own risk. .........................(more)

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2025/07/20/lake-michigan-drownings-lifeguards-beaches/83214223007/