Beginning the first Monday of August for two nights and three days my travel partner (also known as my wife) and I spent time in Door County, WI. The last time we were there was seven years earlier when we camped at Peninsula State Park. We were in Door County in June 2018 and Aug 2016 (with 2016 being the bridge incident). For this venture, we departed early Monday morning, only to get stuck in a traffic jam exiting Hwy 12 on to the Interstate by Madison. Just getting up the on ramp to the interstate took 10 minutes. Not a good beginning, but after that, it was smooth sailing. What was not necessarily smooth were the waves on the Lake Michigan side. Mother Nature had other ideas, and that is where rip currents (formerly known as rip tides) came in to play.
Monday we arrived at Whitefish Dunes State Park, we had lunch and then walked along the path to Cave Point Co Park, about a mile hike. Cave Point is quite different, with larger parking areas and more people than when I first encountered it during my youngest brother's wedding in May 1988. Wedding photos were taken in the park. After the hike, I went swimming at the Whitefish Dunes beach. When we were there in 2019 the lake was so high that there was no beach. Not this year, which saw the level much lower producing a long white ribbon of sand between the water's edge and the dunes. Not that I am a regular visitor to the beach, but two of the four lots were full of vehicles when we arrived, and the beach was teeming with people, just what one would expect on a beautiful early August day. Kayakers were prevalent, including some kayak tour groups touring along the shore. My wife told me to be careful and to get out of the marked area on the map that shows were rip currents are most prevalent. That meant I walked perhaps near half a mile to get out of the marked area. Not as if the signs did much good considering the number of persons in that mapped area. The waves were large, often white caps, that could catch you and haul you in and then retreat and haul you further out. It was rather fun swimming.
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| Whitefish Dunes State Park, ribbon of sand, taken from picnic area, right after our arrival, about 11:30 am. Waves became whitecaps by the time I went swimming after completing our hike to Cave Point There is an abrupt change from dolomite outcropping to sand and sand dunes |
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| Not an uncommon shoreline from Whitefish Dunes beach north to beyond Cave Point Co. Park |
Of course, on our way up we had heard that the loss of two kayakers between the peninsula and Washington Island had turned to recovery, and in fact we heard that the bodies of two twenty year old persons kayaking without life jackets were recovered. As if one recovery was not enough, to show people are people, on Tuesday we heard more news on rescues. First, on Monday night two people on paddle boards at 9:00 pm, yes 9:00 pm when the sun set at 8:15 pm in Sister Bay, had the wind change direction and took them further out, beyond the calmer embracing arms of the landforms that form the bay and moved into Green Bay. They also did not have life jackets. The report from the emergency service scanner recounted the incident, where drones and thermal imaging camera read:
Little Sister Bay - water rescue - juveniles out paddle boarding - winds switched - unable to get back to shore at Pebble Beach - no life jackets - attempting to swim back - thermal imaging - Request Ephraim & Gibraltar to assist with water rescue - Request Egg Harbor Fire for drone - Coast Guard en route ETA 45 min + Coast Guard Helicopter en route - paddle board is orange & lime green in color - approximately 2 football fields off Pebble Beach drifting north - dispatch is on the line with them - they have vistual (sic) lake contact before stand down orders - Ephraim Marine unit has both victims on board & refusing medical - cancel all further responding units
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| The Cave in Cave Point |
As if first responders were not busy enough, on Tuesday there were two rescues at or near Whitefish Dunes. On Monday, my weather application had a warning for beaches from Rock Island south to Manitowoc County for concern of rip currents starting at 2 pm. I read the alert and realized that the more protected Newport Beach was not on the list. My travel partner and I made our way to Newport Beach State Park, which was our plan anyway. We did a three mile hike, and then had lunch. I then went to swim. On the way back we stopped for ice cream in too busy Sister Bay. Some seaweed was in the first few feet of the water. There were probably about 30 people at this lesser used beach, but only a few others entered the water. As at Whitefish Dunes, I go out to about chest to neck depth and then I swim parallel to shore. First, to assure that if something happens, I am in water that I can stand in, and second, if a rip tide catches you, you swim parallel to shore . Hence, my swim pattern helps in case I hit a rip current.
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| Portion of WI State Park Map for Whitefish Dunes Red by author to highlight prevalent rip current area (parallel lines by beach) |
Actually, my wife says I was to be safe, and since I always listen to my wife, I swim safely. After all, I did not want to become that 68 year old man swept into Lake Michigan by a rip current, or even that 68 year old man rescued. If I were rescued, I think my wife would put an end to me swimming in open water in areas without a lifeguard, at least areas susceptible to rip currents. Hence, being safe is in my best interests. I would never hear the end of it, not from the rescue group but from my wife, if I was the one who had to be rescued.
After swimming at Newport Beach, we departed, we had talked the night before of going back to Cave Point to see the large waves hit the rock formation, but instead we went to Sister Bay to get ice cream (made at the Sister Bay Ice Cream Factory and Sandwich Shop, if you go don't waste money on a one scoop dish, get a one scoop waffle cone). Cave Point is southeast of Egg Harbor so we would have had to go a back north to get to the ice cream shop after Cave Point. I am glad we did not go, it was likely a large traffic jam given the occurrences in the area that day.
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| Part of Whitefish Dunes seashore |
Notwithstanding warnings of rip currents, eye witness accounts say people were still swimming in the area of Cave Point, diving off the cliff into the water, and swimming at Whitefish Dunes. That day, rescue crews responded to two incidents. It was not just the local fire department, but the Coast Guard which sent their helicopter and dispatched their rescue boat, which makes me think of the movie The Guardian, starring Kevin Costner. Other jurisdictions responded for mutual aid. The thing is, in Door County, very little is just a few minutes away. The Door County station for the Coast Guard is in Sturgeon Bay is 26 minute travel time to Whitefish Dunes and Cave Point. They sent a boat and a helicopter, and Jacksonport responded with a boat. It is about 10.2 miles by water, likely longer distance fighting waves. The woman who made the call, had been at Cave Point and saw people jumping in. She then said she made her way to the sand beach, which is really Whitefish Dunes, because all other areas from Cave Point south is dolomite outcroppings, a form of limestone. Anyway, the story goes that two young teens and their dad were in the water, about waist deep. The female teen got caught in a rip current which pushed her out, and second pushed her further out. Her brother and dad, who recognized what was happening, went after, but got in the same current, as did one or two others who jumped in and tried to help. One person was transported by Coast Guard ambulance. Apparently, there were five persons caught in the current which took them about 600 feet from shore. By the time rescuers arrived some had gotten out, local rescue got one or so out and the Coast Guard also got one person out. If that was not enough, later two juveniles were rescued after getting caught in a rip current, but much closer to shore they were. The beach was then closed. The thing is, I am not sure where the rescues occurred in relation to the mapped area, but recognize the warning was for the shoreline and it listed Whitefish Dunes.
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| Whitefish Dunes Beach |
The search and rescue persons encourage people to wear life jackets, and some are available on shore for use. The Coast Guard made this Facebook post about the second incident:
Whitefish Dunes State Park (not related to previous call) - Water Rescue - two juveniles 15 feet from shore - stuck in a rip tide - no life jackets - requesting Jacksonport fire with boat - Sturgeon Bay Marine731 en route - male party still in the water multiple people actively trying to help also without life jackets - Coast Guard Boat en route - all parties out of the water on shoreThe Door County Sheriff's office stated that "Door County's waters are beautiful but can be extremely unpredictable. Weather, waves, currents, and water conditions can change rapidly, creating dangerous situations for boaters, paddlers, and swimmers."
Over the course of three days, there were three water rescues and one, unfortunately, recovery operation. The rip currents can suddenly show. Whitefish Dunes website identifies the occurrence of rip currents: "Lake Michigan can produce dangerous rip currents [exit DNR]. These currents are most serious when large waves are present. Rip currents typically occur within 200 yards of the ramp leading to the beach. Signs and flags identify this area. If caught in a rip current, swim parallel to the shore. Rip currents are seldom wider than 30 feet." (A web site for the ocean and rip currents says they can be 50--100' wide.) It is that 200 yards, or 1/8 mile that the beach is clearly marked for rip currents. I walked down to the second beach access point from the first access point, using a mat provided in the sand to a safer swim area, beyond the normal rip current zone. Of course, pets are not allowed on the beach, but plenty of them were to be seen, so I guess people will also figure they can be in the water in a area not suggested for swimming. People will be people.
Post Scripts:
This past Friday (8/7) at Myrtle Beach, a 47 year old school teacher from Georgia, and father of four, died after rescuing a girl from a rip current. Lifeguards had just ended their duty for the day when the girl was caught in the rip current at about 8 pm. He got her to safety, when he was "ripped under by the current."
About 100 people a year die due to rip currents each year.
Founded on Aug 4, 1790, two water rescues occurred on the 236th birthday of the US Coast Guard in Door County alone.
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