SOUTH HAVEN, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – There are still no signs of a Jackson teen lost in Lake Michigan off of South Haven’s South Beach over the weekend.
Crews resumed their search on Thursday to recover the body of the missing swimmer, but they had no luck.
Officials with South Haven Area Emergency Services were dispatched to South Beach around 4:30 p.m. Sunday after a report of two men in distress at a buoy in the swimming area.
First responders spotted a 19-year-old clinging to the buoy about 100 yards from shore and rescued the victim. The teen said his friend was apparently trying to swim back to shore when he went under and did not resurface.
South Haven Police Chief Natalie Thompson first said that the teens entered the water under a red flag warning, but now authorities say it was a yellow flag warning at the time the they went in, which indicated dangerous but not life-threatening conditions.
However, conditions deteriorated and a strong rip current carried the swimmers into a red flag area. The flags that had been yellow were then changed to red as a result of the incident.
South Beach was closed off on Labor Day as crews attempted to locate the victim.
In a press release, officials with South Haven Area Emergency Services stated, “As a reminder, please use extreme caution upon entering any of our Great Lakes. Conditions can worsen in an instant, putting swimmers in danger. We will continue to educate ourselves to prevent incidents such as this in the future.”
There have been a series of water rescues due to the dangerous conditions. Three people were rescued from the same area of Lake Michigan a day later. A man was also rescued after being separated from his small boat.
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