PSA: The World is not Disneyland, Part Four Thousand Forty-Two

[rolanni]

OK, who here does not know better than to go swimming in the ocean when there's been a Big Storm within the last couple days? Show of hands, here, people.

Right. The ocean is not your friend. The weather is not your friend. I speak here as one who is very much attracted to both the ocean and to dangerous weather. I understand the allure. But for cryin' out loud, don't dice with either for your life. Unless you're very, very lucky, you will lose.

Comments

I had NO idea

[redpimpernel.livejournal.com]

I guess I have to raise both hands. I live near relatively placid Lake Michigan, although I would have never used that term before reading theses posts. Lake Michigan is an inland sea, it does have it's rip tide areas (usually posted) but... After Mardott and Jonquil's posts... Don't turn your back on the ocean? People have died wading? Holy crap! I promise to take all of the postings much, much more seriously during my lake side vacation this week. (Looking sideways at Lake wondering if it's planning something...)

Re: I had NO idea

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Lake Michigan can turn vicious with little warning. Back in the '60s or '70s, a bunch of people out fishing for coho salmon ended up dying. They thought little trailerable outboard boats were safe offshore . . .

Re: I had NO idea

[redpimpernel.livejournal.com]

Certainly Lake Michigan is famously dangerous to boaters, especially when the "gales of November come early," but it's not like you are gonna get sucked off the beach by rogue waves, although there are some strong rip tides along the Door County peninsula. People die out on the lake every year, usually there is more of an alcohol/inexperience component then weather. Near shore disasters in Milwaukee are more about non-swimmers falling off the seawall/pier or through the ice then anything involving riptides or waves.

Re: I had NO idea

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

I think the coho fisherman debacle (long time ago, fading memory) involved people thinking that because they could *launch* a trailer boat from a beach, they'd be able to *land* that boat on that beach. Without dying in the process.

This happened on the Michigan side of the lake, below Leland, where actual harbors get scarce for a ways.

My family came from Traverse City, so we noticed.

Re: I had NO idea

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah, there was another sad story on Lake Michigan a few years ago when some teens took paddle boats onto the lake. The one survivor jumped off and swam back to shore as they drifted out, if I remember correctly.

B. O'Brien

Re: I had NO idea

[(Anonymous)]

But I had no idea about the ocean, either - with only lake experiences. (B)