GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — We're still a couple days out from the Fourth of July weekend, but people are getting a head start enjoying the beach. The Galvan family traveled to Grand Haven from Indiana for the holiday weekend.
"We just want to make sure the kids have lots of fun," says Kate Galvan.
With two young kids, safety is a top priority. While enjoying the water, parents Ulises and Kate always make sure at least one of them is with the kids.
"One gets in the water with them and the other sits out," says Ulises. "We just kind of keep an eye out."
The National Weather Service forecasts rough surf along West Michigan beaches on Thursday, with potential for three to six foot waves. Kate says conditions like that will change their plans.
"We probably actually just wouldn't get in with them being so little," she says. "They haven't taken swim lessons yet, so we would just be like, just stay out."
Staying out of rough water can help save your life. The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project says in 2020, 56 people drowned in Lake Michigan alone. So far this year, the total is already at 16.
To keep his kids safe, Ulises told his son on Wednesday to keep nearby.
"Stay close to us, always watch," he says. "Not to get too focused on his playing."
Grand Haven posts updated beach conditions online for you to check before heading out. You can find that information by clicking here.
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