Macomb County Sheriff's Marine Division shares water safety tips

ON LAKE ST. CLAIR (WXYZ) – Tragically, we saw two drownings in Southeast Michigan this Memorial Day weekend.

On Saturday, a child drowned in the Holly Recreation Area, just 10 feet from shore. Also at Galloway Lake in Auburn Hills, a 28-year-old man drowned.

In light of the danger, 7 News Detroit spent Memorial Day on Lake St. Clair with the Macomb County Sheriff's Office Marine Division to learn about the most common safety mistakes on our waters.

Less than 20 minutes after being on the water, Lt. Gary Wiegand and his team encountered someone who needed help.

They informed us that this happens much more often than we think, and that any danger on the water should be taken seriously.

“If you’re 6 feet tall, it doesn’t take more than 6 feet of water to drown.” Wiegand said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s 6 feet deep or 100 feet deep, above your head, it’s above your head.”

On average, more than 100 people die each year in our Great Lakes, not including our inland lakes and basins.

“It'll be a beautiful 85 degree day, with little to no wind, people will stop their boat and want to go swimming, and they won't think they have to anchor the boat, and the next thing you know, the boat stay away from those people in the water,” Wiegand warned.

Being informed about water safety can be a matter of life and death.

Wiegand said they've unfortunately already had one drowning on Lake St. Clair this year: “If there had been a life jacket involved, I don't think this accident would have happened.” One way people can almost guarantee they won't. drowning is if they are wearing a personal flotation device.

We asked Lake St. Clair boater John Adamo what he considers the biggest danger on our local waters.

He has been boating for about 30 years and said: “Probably the worst part is that they're going too fast. If there are a lot of boats and they had a good time at a party, that just makes things worse.”

Adamo said he keeps the proper safety equipment on his boat and stays away from large crowds out of an abundance of caution.

Wiegand's safety tips for anyone swimming or boating include:

• Beware of the reckless behavior of others
• Never swim alone
• Have a life jacket appropriate for the size and age of each person on a boat
• Have a sober boat operator
• Have a way to communicate with people abroad
• Have a good understanding and respect for water depths and currents

“If you run out of a life jacket, we often give someone a life jacket,” Wiegand said. “So we really want everyone to come out on the water, have fun and stay safe. We're not looking to make an arrest, issue a ticket or ruin anyone's weekend. We we just want to make sure that ultimately everyone gets back to shore and goes home safely.”
If you find yourself in a dangerous situation on the water, call 911.

Dispatch can track your phone to your location to come help you.

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