Don’t Panic! Emergency Drill to Simulate Plane Crash Over Lake Michigan This Week

If you notice a lot of emergency responders near Lake Michigan this week, don't panic! It's only a drill.

Officials have announced that multiple agencies from across the state will be participating in a plane crash simulation.

What’s Happening on Lake Michigan?

According to a release from the U.S. Coast Guard, the simulation will take place on Wednesday, June 25, on Lake Michigan near Manistee. It will happen from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

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Personnel from the Coast Guard Air Station in Traverse City, the Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan, the Coast Guard Station Manistee, Manistee County Emergency Management, the Manistee County Sheriff's Office, the Michigan DNR, Manistee City Police, and the Manistee County Central Dispatch will be participating in the exercise.

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Officials say that they will use the exercise for a few things.

• To "enhance interagency coordination."
• To "test the effectiveness of local response capabilities in a mass casualty scenario."
• To "evaluate communications protocols."
• And to "assess the response time and coordination of participating agencies in a mass rescue scenario."

Why This Exercise on Lake Michigan Matters

Lt. Theodore Keenan from the Air Station Traverse City said in the release,

Training exercises like this are critical to ensuring our readiness and ability to respond effectively to real-world emergencies. By working closely with our local partners, we can strengthen our partnerships, improve our collective response capabilities and enhance the safety of the maritime community.

This is a simulation, so it's not a cause for any alarm. Officials are asking that the public avoid the area during the training.