HOLLAND, Mich. — It only takes a slight change in weather to turn harmless beach days into potentially dangerous ones at the Great Lakes, especially along West Michigan's lakeshore.
"The lakes are great places to visit," said Sean Mulligan, Park Manager for Holland State Park. "They're beautiful, but there is also a lot of power in the water, and it can be very dangerous."
That's why Holland State Park has put a few new safety measures in place. The first is on the pier, where they've added a gate.
"That's to help us control pier traffic and try to minimize access during periods of time when it's dangerous to be out there," Mulligan said.
The park has also installed an electronic messaging board conveying beach conditions, located where visitors enter.
They've also added a new public address system to update people on the beach of any changing conditions.
"When we have to make a change in the flags we can announce that to people if they're not paying attention," Mulligan said, "so hopefully we'll catch their attention this way."
And for those still deciding whether or not to head out to the sand, visitors can now view live beach conditions on the City of Holland's website.
That is in addition to the updates posted to Holland State Park's Facebook page on a regular basis.
Mulligan urges visitors and Michigan natives to learn what they can about the Great Lakes.
"Pay attention to the flag system," he said. "And when it is a red flag, stay safe and stay on the shore."
Green flags mean it is safe to swim, yellow means use caution and red indicates dangerous conditions.
13 ON YOUR SIDE also spoke to Ron Olson, Chief of the DNR Parks and Recreation Division.
He said that in particular, Grand Haven, Holland, Ludington and Mears state parks are situated in locations where rip currents tend to build and recurring safety hazards are present.
Mulligan explains that is because of how the piers at these locations were built.
Rip currents can be deadly, so Mulligan said adhering to the flag system is extremely important.
Michigan State Parks also do not have lifeguards, so Olson and Mulligan both agree that you should never swim alone, and that it's important to keep close watch of your children playing at the beach.
For more information on the beach flag warning system and other beach safety tips, click here.
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