How to stay safe at the beach | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
American Red Cross
July 15, 2015
Courtesy of Visit Milwaukee
While you’re enjoying the water, keep alert and check the local weather conditions. Daily weather reports and swim hazard risks are available on home page of the Milwaukee County Beaches website.
Make sure you swim sober and that you never swim alone. And even if you’re confident in your swimming skills, make sure you have enough energy to swim back to shore.
Avoid currents
Rip currents are responsible for deaths on beaches every year, and for most of the rescues performed by lifeguards. Beachgoers should be aware of how dangerous rip currents are, and swim only at beaches with lifeguards in the designated swimming area.
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Lake Michigan is particularly dangerous. Over the last 10 years, Lake Michigan has had seven times the number of rip current incidents (which includes rescues and fatalities) than the other Great Lakes. In 2013, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported 36 deaths due to submersion or drowning in natural water.
Rip currents can form in any large open water area, such as low spots and breaks in sandbars, or near structures such as jetties and piers.
Swim safety