In 2019 our community experienced several drownings in Lake Michigan within a couple of weeks. In response to these tragic events, we began to explore ways that Sandcastles Children's Museum might become a source of education regarding Water Safety.
With the help of many knowledgeable individuals and organizations, we developed a Water Safety Exhibit for the museum that features a Life Saving Tower and a Wave Table. The Life Saving Tower focuses on the concepts from the Great Lakes Water Safety Consortium that focus on helping people remember life saving tips with short and simple phrases.
Families can explore this Rip Current dynamic through our hands-on, interactive Wave Table. With the help of Bauer Sheet Metal in Scottville, Michigan, we have built a wave table kids and families can use to simulate rip currents. The wave table has a paddle wheel crank on one side that can be used to establish a wave pattern and moveable sand bars on the bottom of the table. Once the sandbars are positioned in such a way, the rip current will form and can best be observed by dropping a small beach ball in the surf to see how people and objects are affected by the current.
Our hope is to instill an appreciation for the mighty power of Lake Michigan, as well as prevent drowning by giving families the tools they need in order to stay safe.
"Know Before You Go"
This emphasizes the importance of knowing the conditions on Lake Michigan before you head to the beach. The tower has information on our local alert system that covers beach conditions from Pentwater to Manistee. Code Red is an app that is easily downloaded onto a phone.
The Life Saving Tower also has a video monitor where kids can check the conditions of Lake Michigan in real time. One of our local motels near the beach has installed a camera on their roof looking out over the water. Kids can take notes on what they observe.
"Don't Just Bring It. Wear It!" | USLA.ORG
"Break the Grip of the Rip"
There are many strong currents in Lake Michigan that can quickly become dangerous, one of them is a Rip Current, a relatively strong, narrow current flowing outward from the beach through the surf zone that presents a hazard to swimmers. Research shows that the best way to get out of a rip current when you are swimming in Lake Michigan is to "Flip, Float, Follow". Flip onto your back and Float there with your head above water, remain calm and catch your breath, then you can Follow the current until you are free of its pull and you can swim out of it and toward shore.
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— Anonymous Donor