A Dangerous and Sad Weekend Along the Lakeshore in Grand Haven

This weekend, Lake Michigan proved it's a powerful force that has to be respected, even in the heart and heat of the summer.

Saturday Night

It started Saturday night as various news outlets reported waves had swept numerous people off the south pier at Grand Haven State Park.  Grand Haven Department of Public Safety was called to the south pier Saturday night after the alarms on the life-saving rings, along the pier, were activated on two of the rings. 

According to Fox 17, when responders arrived, they found that a guy had jumped into the lake from the south pier to get a shoe that was floating away.  He was rescued by bystanders using one of the life-saving rings. While rescuers were looking into that incident, they found out various people had been knocked off the pier due to the strong waves.

Fox 17 says as rescuers were wrapping up the initial reason they arrived, the alarms on the life-saving rings, they hear yelling as a 20-year-old man had just become overwhelmed with the waves and his friends were just pulling him in from the water. After a quick medical check-up, he went on his way without going to the hospital.

After those incidents, officials decided to close the pier for a few hours.

Sunday Afternoon 

Sunday was events turned tragic as a 14-year-old Grand Rapids boy was presumed drowned after disappearing out near swim buoys at Grand Haven State Park around 3:42 pm Sunday afternoon.  Later Sunday night, WZZM reported that as of 8:30 pm police had announced they were suspending the search for the night.

During rescue efforts, beachgoers helped form a human chain to help rescuers and the Coast Guard look for the boy at his last location in the lake.  WZZM reports that officials stated the currents were very dangerous and the National Weather Service had issued dangerous swimming conditions because of gusty winds.

MLive says Grand Haven Department of Public Safety officers will be searching the beach throughout the night and the Ottawa County Dive Team along with Michigan State Police Dive team will be in, early Monday morning, to continue the search.