3 drownings in Michigan over Memorial Day weekend: How to stay safe in water

Chandra Fleming, Detroit Free Press
·2 min read

It was a dangerous Memorial Day for some swimmers in Michigan.

In Milford Township at Kent Lake, a 6-year-old girl drowned while swimming early Monday evening.

The same day, a 45-year-old Toledo man drowned at Milan Beach in Monroe County.

In Lenawee County, a 39-year-old Ohio man drowned while preparing to go tubing with his family on Devil's Lake.

And at Grand Haven State Park, four people were rescued while swimming in Lake Michigan after bystanders formed a human chain with help of Ottawa County marine deputies.

A 20-year-old man also was believed to have drowned Sunday in northern Michigan’s Bear Lake after diving from a boat and struggling in the water. Searchers were unable to find him Sunday evening.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 11 people die every day in the U.S. due to drowning, or roughly 4,000 people every year.

Children ages 1-4 are more likely to die from drowning than any other deaths besides birth defects.

More: Beachgoers form human chain, four rescued at Grand Haven State Park on Memorial Day

More: 2 girls critically hurt in hit-and-run at Belle Isle; suspect in custody

Here are some tips from the federal agency on how to prevent drowning rather at home or near your local bodies of water.:

  • Know how to swim. Be aware of water safety skills.

  • Fence in your pool.

  • Never skip proper supervision. The CDC recommends a designated person, kind of like a designated driver, who refrains from drugs or alcohol, who can watch the children.

  • Wearing a life jacket can help reduce the risk of drowning for all ages.

  • Know and practice CPR.

  • Be aware of waves, vegetation, rocks at natural water locations like rivers, lakes and oceans. Also being aware of weather conditions before you go near the bodies of water is a helpful tool in keeping yourself safe.

  • Stay sober.

  • Swim with a partner and make sure to try to swim where lifeguards are present.

  • Make sure to have someone who can supervise family members or friends with preexisting medical conditions such as seizures or heart conditions.

  • Know the effects medicines can have on your balance, coordination and judgment, and avoid swimming if the medicine affects any of those.

  • Try to prevent hyperventilation and holding your breath for too long, which can lead to blacking out and drowning.

Associated Press contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan summer water safety: How to avoid injuries, drowning