HOLLAND, Mich. — A hazardous beach warning expired at 2 a.m. Wednesday and conditions Thursday should be better for swimmers on the West Michigan lakeshore. But Tuesday was another dangerous day. A pair of children struggling in Lake Michigan had to be rescued Tuesday afternoon at Holland State Park.
“They got brushed against the rocks and had to be pulled out of the water,” says park visitor Taneshia Trudeau.
Ottawa County deputies say a 9-year-old boy visiting from Davidson, Michigan, was struggling in the rough surf and called out for help. A 12-year-old girl from Colorado went into the water to assist the boy, but when he grabbed on to her, she was in trouble, too. The strong current was pushing them toward the pier. Some bystanders tossed life rings to the children and pulled them in to safety.
“They pulled them up onto the sand,” says Trudeau. “Paramedics were helping the children.”
Paramedics looked at the boy and the girl and their parents were there to take care of them. The children did not require medical treatment. Deputies remind beach visitors to obey the signs and flags warning swimmers when conditions are dangerous.
“They said to make sure we stayed in the swimming area by the buoy and also keep an eye on the children because the waves are really dangerous,” says Trudeau.
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