This Michigan Beach Has Lifeguards for the First Time in 25 Years

South Haven — For the first season in a quarter century, there is a reassuring sign on the city’s South Beach: “Lifeguards on Duty.”

As someone who grew up going to the same South Haven beach, it was comforting to know someone was watching my kids along with me, even if it cost $15 for the afternoon.

David Figueredo, the city’s chief lifeguard, said it wasn’t easy to get lifeguards back on shore for the first time in 25 years, because the city started the season with nothing but the actual lifeguards—no towers for shade and a better perspective of the water.

But the scrappy team has made 18 water rescues so far this year, and a high-profile rescue of the mayor’s husband, who suffered a heart attack earlier in the season.

Lifeguards were able to perform CPR, restart his heart with an AED, and coordinate with local emergency services.

That’s almost a full score of people who are still around today because a stranger was watching out for them.

The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project tallies drownings in the Great Lakes. They say there have been 58 deaths so far this year, with 31 of those in Lake Michigan in all surrounding states.

Figueredo said South Haven’s South Beach is one of three on the state’s Lake Michigan coast with lifeguards.

If you’re from Michigan, you know the Great Lakes can be scary. Even on days when the water looks calm, there can be sudden crops of waves. Enough of them in a row can confuse kids or overwhelm less-than-confident swimmers.

Then there are the notorious rip tides that carry people out to the deeps. The beaches are beautiful and fun, but there’s an element of danger hiding just underneath the surface.

That’s why I liked having the lifeguards looking out at the water with binoculars while the kids were swimming with me. They have standard lifeguard fare: a radio, elevated chairs and towers along the beach, and a look of grim determination.

Unlike some lifeguarded areas, there weren’t a ton of rules. I heard one lifeguard warn a swimmer about going beyond the buoy with a megaphone: “I can’t tell you to stop, but there’s nothing between you and the boats if you go past the swim area.”

It was refreshing to see them letting people enjoy the water any way they wanted while also providing them advice. That’s a hard line to walk, and they seemed to be doing a great job.

The only tradeoff for these guardians is that it’s a bit more expensive to swim at the beach for the day. Parking pays for the lifeguards, and it is enforced. Still, when I visited on a Friday afternoon, there was hardly a spot in the parking lot or on the beach.

Maybe it’s because people feel safer going to the beach with lifeguards on duty. They’re out there until beachgoers leave around dinnertime, depending on the day.

After they’re off duty, it’s just you and the open water: Swim at your own risk.