I got caught in a rip current for the first time ever and after swimming till exhaustion but not getting anywhere I finally remembered- Swim parallel to the beach to get out of the current and then swim towards shore! I made it!

Lake Michigan is no joke. I’ve been in it for 40 yrs and I’m healthy and a strong swimmer. I’ve had the rip currents rip my legs out from under me in 3 feet of water and if I would have panicked, I would have drowned. It’s more dangerous then an ocean.

Lake Michigan is an enourmous body of water, one of the biggest in the nation. It's basically an inland ocean. It's also quite choppy, has rip currents and bigger waves then you'd expect on gusty days. "54% of Americans can't swim 25 yards."

I am an above average swimmer and I don’t play around in Lake Michigan. I’m not afraid of it, but you have to understand how powerful it is and respect it. Can never be too careful!

The interview doesn’t explain the dangers, but the comments do. Good to know.

Swim in the lake and you got 99 problems, but a shark ain't one.

Swimming Pool Have No Current. Be Safe.

My guess is that over consumption of alcohol plays a big role in many drownings, especially in places like Chicago’s “playpen” where alcohol and boating seem to go hand in hand-in-hand.

Life jackets cheaper than a coffin

KNOW YOUR LIMITS. !!!! If you're a swimmer if you are tired roll over on your back and float. Point yourself in the direction of the shore just use your hands as paddles, just slowly paddle float your way back to shore. Just don't panic - remember roll onto back and paddle float back to shore. You do this and you will feel relaxed.

In 1969, my teenage cousin swam to try to save a friend who was in trouble in the lake... They both drowned. My dad was a power boater and a part of the Coast Auxiliary then, and joined the effort to find the bodies. I can't express how devastating this was to the family - my cousin's folks ended up divorcing, and it put untold stressmon my dad and stepmom, who were already overwhelmed. Please be careful

I never consider Lake Michigan a small body of water. It's indeed an INLAND OCEAN which even has a weather system and a current pattern of its own.

I'm an excellent swimmer and can swim for miles but I rarely stay in water over my head for more hours a minute or two. My long lifetime of watersports has taught me many valuable lessons that most people seem to want to learn the hard way.

I'll explain...Lake Michigan has the "washboard effect" ...it means smaller waves crash into each other ...back and forth. That makes it difficult for swimmers because of the constant "slap in the face" from water!

its hard to swim while posing with a phone in your hand

I know how to float. I swallow water, I just chock and clear my air way with zero panic. One ounce of panic and you're a goner for sure. Never swim alone, that's number one rule. Also know you limits and your skills.

50so,ething years ago I was drinking with friends and we were swimming back from a raft which was a ways out. Suddenly I got bad cramps but everyone swam past me to shore before I could say anything. I realized that the only thing I could do was float so I did until I could swim back. Valuable lesson was learned that day

I know the feeling. I was in Hawaii last month and went on a snorkel trip. We took a boat out to Turtle canyon and it's quite far from shore. I jumped in, I thought I'd be OK swimming but after a few mins I got tired, swallowed some sea water and that panic that hits is the worst. I rushed back to the boat and was done for the day

Children need to start learning to swim at age six weeks, and continue to develop swimming proficiency through high school. In Chicago, this should include open water swimming in Lake Michigan. As a former beach lifeguard in Chicago, I know that teenagers will head to the lakefront in the summer, and many of them are not confident swimmers. Those skills might not save you if you are high or intoxicated and fall off a boat, but a skilled swimmer nearby might.

A lot of people underestimate the rip currents on lake Michigan and the very cold water, very dangerous

25 yards? He didn't mention the water temperature. Cold water is brutal & you won't get through 7-10 strokes before vasoconstriction shuts down your arms & legs, then all you can do is float on your back & go completely hypothermic.

Life Vests work great.

It's easy to severely underestimate water. Even in a creek or river anything above mid shins can quickly become dangerous to try to cross in.

When I was young, there was something called the red Cross swimming certification for young people… you had to perform certain things in order to be able to swim in the pool at our local YMCA. The first thing you had to do was swim across the pool. The second thing you had to do was swim underwater across the pool, coming up a maximum of twice for air the third thing you had to do was take a deep breath and dive to the bottom of the pool and bring up a brick. There were a couple other things that you had to do and I forgot what they were float on your back for several minutes Treadwater for several minutes. if you passed, you were able to swim without supervision I have been swimming in the ocean since I was three years old underwater on top of water I could float. I could hold my breath. I could tread water. Swimming was one of the easiest things we learned how to do as kids, so many people do not teach kids the basics of swimming anymore… because we lived in Florida at that young age. We were all four taught to swim very young

I was drowning...I didn't leash my paddle board....and it was windy...was a scary moment... thanks a lady helped me out... situations like this happens to anybody

Lake Michigan can go from a chop to 12+ foot waves in an hour.I live in Manitowoc, WI and have been on board fishing craft during these sudden changes.The rip currents also come quickly. You can spot the rip current's general area. Its located off the shore in the area where no waves are coming ashore.

💯My Dad was a lifeguard and The Best Swimmer I know. He said to Never swim in This Water because of the under current!! The under current pulls you Under!

Please note: Always adhere to safety measures, like wearing a safety life vest. Also be very careful in deep water. at the shorelines, they can be very slippery from algae growth and make it harder to gain a good grip to hoist yourself out of the deep water...FYI. Make sure your safety life vest has been tested and correctly and firmly fit your body. Ty

It is what it is. Safety is important, but overall, people *think* that they're action movie stars.

Almost as dangerous as living in the city itself

I thought I could swim until my 10 year old got caught in a strong river current, quickly realized we were both nearly drowning, my fiancé had to save us both! Never underestimate the power of the water!

Water doesn't drown you, panic does.

Drowning season? Never heard of that.

Let’s also not forget about the danger of being hit by a boat while you’re in the water, if swimming further away from shore.

I swim from 2.5 km to 5 km continuous per day. Even so, I am very attentive to the safety rules in large bodies of water. Bad things can happen to swimmers of all levels of skill and conditioning. Heeding the safety rules and the advice of people familiar with the waters you are in is absolutely critical. BTW: I read an article in US Swimmer magazine that said 22% of adults aged 35 to 65 can swim 2 km without stopping.

I was at the Chicago lake and there was so many police cars and an ambulance, and all I saw was boats everywhere and a helicopter circling around us. They pulled a body out of the water right in front of me.

Very good information. Must respect our Great lakes.

Two or 3 people drowned. We should ban all boats and build a 10-foot wall around Lake Michigan now!

If I am ever challenged to a duel I will pick a two mile open water swim as my weapon.

20 or so years ago I went crabbing with my family and parents. We all got in the boat and I jacketed my kids made sure my wife was set and then put a life jacket on myself. My mom, always the mother came up to me and said ‘thank you’ and I was like for what?. She said ‘for putting on a life jacket.’ I told her ‘Yeah I know how to swim. I also know that as soon as I hit the Pacific Ocean of the north west, my ability to swim goes right out the window. I know my limits.’ Made her proud that day.

I love open water swimming. I always carry a floater (swim buoy-okay, not actually a flotation device, but it’s enough to keep my head above water when I hold on to it) with me, just in case I get cramps or something.

I dove in that bih today!! Was cool and refreshing

Went swimming in Lake Ontario years ago, it's like swimming In the ocean,big waves ,only being in fresh water.

Everything he said was correct! Stay safe

People need to respect the power of water.

Respect the Great Lakes - they are bigger than you. God Bless

Swimming in lake Michigan is still safer than walking through Chicago.

So..... not 1 specific special danger of Lake Michigan mentioned, great video.

I live on Lake Erie, the most shallow of the Great Lakes. We lose people EVERY year, just recently a 10 yr old boy. Always seems to be out of towners. the undertows are serious!

I used to have sweater like that back in the 80’s!

I grew up about a mile from the south shore of Lake Ontario. Back more than 50 years ago in the summer when I was in sixth grade there was a day program near my home for kids called “Summer Fun.” A variety of ages, more younger than older than me, with a teenage ‘counselor’ or two. One activity we’d do sometimes was ride our bikes the mile to the lakeshore, across a four lane highway that would eventually be what would be the Canadian version (QEW) of an interstate, and back then cars would go 60+ mph and there’d be a rural stoplight for us to use to cross. We’d swim near the shore with the counselor warning us that over there (or over there…) there might be an undertow and not to go over that way. The shore was part sand and part rocks. It seems kind of crazy now but I don’t remember our losing anyone, though I remember being nervous about both the highway crossing and the water.

I got caught in a rip current with my little brother. I was raised my whole life going to the beach. When it happened I tried not to panic especially when I realized I was struggling to get back to shore and really thought we were going to die as we were being dragged and he was sinking and I was keeping him afloat and I was getting tired, I instinctually began to swim to the sides inch by inch felt like forever until I was able to swim freely back to shore. I learned about rip currents since i was small maybe that education kicked in? Recently on the news at a beach I used to go to two parents died fighting a rip current while their children watched in horror. They were on vacation. Very sad.

I think they missed it. There is FAR MORE danger in Chicago than in Lake Michigan.

Respect the big water. It’s not a pool. That water is cold and deep.

It’s a GREAT LAKe for a reason ? It’s an inland freshwater sea . The waves and cross currents require you’re a good swimmer. When your taken away with the riptide close to shore you’re carried 100 yards or more down the beach. If you go with the flow you’ll reach the beach in no time. If you panic your in trouble . Body surfing was big in my day. Even my children rode the waves 🌊. You must also keep a sharp eye on your loved ones or someone who shouldn’t be in the rough waters.

You can get in the water but can you get out of water? Take some kind of flotation device with you. Are there lifeguards where you are swimming? Do you swim with a friend? Is it safe to swim where you swim? Are there rip currents where you swim? Is the water friendly?

I made that mistake when I got to Ft. Ord and jumped into the bay for a swim. Got pulled way out quick and it took a solid half-hour of swimming to get back to shore. Afterwards I find out Monterey Bay has tonnes of sharks and I was very lucky to not meet with one.

Drinking heavily in the midday sun before going swimming also isn’t brilliant

The cold water can also cause dizziness and can easily disorient you. I'm a professional mermaid in this lake. It's dangerous and needs to be dealt with cautiously.

There are mermaids in Lake Michigan!

The underestimate of Michigan water is a shame. It is common sense how strong current or mother nature is. Life jackets are a good choice, floaties, and maybe sticking to a pool(if its your own pool,and not public)😅.... Who wants to swim in pee infested/bacteria infested water anyway.

drowning season? i had no idea there was such a thing as drowning season. people drown all year long💀

Good info thank you

An "expert"? Ask anyone living on the shores, nearby or around Lake Michigan and most will have the equivalent of a PhD on the subject.

Respect the water.

When I was 17 years old I swam across the entirety of the lake.. 60 miles. I started at Oak St Beach and wound up somewhere in rural Michigan.

54% of Americans not being able to swim 25 yards is crazy. I'm a very good swimmer, swimming 1 mile at a time, twice a week. Couple times a year I swim 2-4 miles. Was in Lake Michigan a few years ago, the waves were so bad it was like a washing machine, lost my swim goggles. Took me a minute to get back to shore, learned my lesson to respect the water.

I thought I could swim until one time when I got caught in a lake current and barely got out of it. I was exhausted and to this day am amazed I finally made it to shore. We don't know until we are caught in the fight of our life.

Been in & sailed on many lakes around the globe. Been on Lake Michigan - swam in it in the late 1950s, boated in it in 1970s, kayaked in the 2000s. Sailed it with a friend several times. Did one SCUBA dive in it - never again. That darn Lake Michigan is one of the most treacherous lakes I've ever been on/in. Lake Michigan is susceptible to strong winds that can generate large waves, especially during storms. These waves can be hazardous for small boats, kayaks, and paddleboarders, particularly those who are inexperienced or not equipped with proper safety gear. Most folks have no idea how to get out of a rip tide on any body of water - there are some rules to follow: rip tides are narrow in width so swimming parallel to the shore/beach (rip tide is taking you away from the shore towards the open water behind you very fast)...so swim perpendicular to that motion = parallel to the shore...usually will get you out of it. But one can't panic. Panic is why most folks can't get out of it. For me now, I leave Lake Michigan to the fish & admire it from afar.

Drowning season? WOW

I thought Michigan's water is polluted? Why would you want to swim in it?

If the experts say the lake is that dangerous, follow the science and ban everyone from getting in the lake. It’s common sense.

Water with even a mild chop is more tiring than swimming laps in a pool. It’s surprising how quickly you can become exhausted.

I don’t understand how someone who lives near Great Lakes doesn’t know the dangers of the water. Drownings are CONSTANTLY in the news. Please learn from these tragedies.

If you cramp up...hold your breathe & arch your back...your body WILL float! Then remain calm and breathe & start paddling backwards. This is how I survived from drowning. Stay safe!

Unfortunately some people will ignore all warnings and do it anyway 🎉

really really really avoid the most southwest portion of lake michigan. PFAS tests of the slope above this area show PFAS levels 1000x surviveable in various wells near this area. I would assume it's leeching into the lake. (and they refuse to test the lake).... 😊

Let's not forget the pollution in Lake Michigan!

Common sense is not something our species is particularly strong with.

Still safer than Chicago!

4 decades ago ? I have happy memories of swimming and fishing the lake for a day

We are going up to Michigan City, Indiana in a couple of weeks for a mini vacation. Will be the first time visiting the area. If anyone has ever been there or is a local and has some recommendations on what to do please let me know!

When I was a child, I did swim quite often in a pool and was pretty good in the water. There was a man made lake swimming area in the parkland where I grew up. I went swimming there a few times. However, I stayed close to shore and did not venture past the marker towards the deeper part. I was confident swimming in the diving pool and jumping off the low rise board.

People have been swimming in that lake for hundreds if not thousands of years and now we need an "expert" to tell us the dangers? We are a society in trouble.

Were more people killed in the streets of Chicago today or in the water?

NON-PC HEADLINE: Experts warn of dangers of being stupid and swimming in Lake Michigan.

Water temperatures vary in lakes & at different times of the year.

I hope people will heed that sound advice.

Please wear your life jacket.....

NO SHARKS they stay on shore in Chicago

Being a "good swimmer" won't help you if you're stuck in a rip current or you fall off a boat. Knowing how to stay calm and float will save your life.

If you are not fit, you should not swim

Dude needs bigger headphones.

Open water is way different than pool water. The currents and tide make it so much harder to swim.

Stay out of the water if you can’t swim

Is it still dangerous if I swim very close to shore where the water is up to your waist

23 year old Oakland firefighter just lost his life in the ocean off of San Diego's coast😔. "People overestimate their swimming abilities" sad facts 😔

water safety is 100% common sense, just because people have none is a different issue entirely.

Drowning Season….sounds like the name of 2001 nu metal band.

So what are the dangers of Lake Michigan vs a pool?