Be aware of rip currents

Posted: 06.09.2011 at 9:01 AM

MARQUETTE -- Thirty people died in the Great Lakes last summer from rip currents, three times the annual average.

Locally, we saw more than our share of tragedy.

With the summer of 2011 looming, it's fitting that this is Rip Current Awareness Week.

"During this week, we're going to try and teach people how to escape rip currents, or the channel currents, and also how to prepare for their day at the beach," said Meagan Babich of the National Weather Service in Negaunee Township.

Picnic Rocks in Marquette was a particularly dangerous place to be this past summer. Even though the currents there are actually channel currents, they're just as deadly as rips if you don't know the difference.

"The rip current juts out into the lake whereas the channel currents move parallel to the shore," Babich added. "So if you get caught in a rip current, you need to swim parallel to the shore. If you're in a channel current, you want to swim back towards the shore."

This summer, Marquette will have warning flags on the beaches, and the National Weather Service itself is unveiling a new section of their website to help beachgoers.

But none of these measures are as important as preparation and prevention.

"Make sure you check the weather forecast for the day," Babich warns. "Is there a high or a low risk of rip currents? And when you get to the beach, know your beach...hey, are there lifeguards here? Is there rescue equipment? How do I use that rescue equipment? I'm sure the lifeguards would be happy to talk to you about it."

Following all safety precautions and a healthy dose of common sense, and you can avoid becoming another statistic.