The National Weather Service is warning of dangerous conditions on Lake Michigan on Thursday, with waves that could reach three to six feet. The forecast comes as the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is considering issuing fines to swimmers who ignore red flag warnings, putting emergency responders in danger when they have to rescue them from the lake. DNR Chief Ron Olsen told Michigan News Network if they issue citations, the fine could be up to $500.
“This is something that we’ve talked about doing for a couple of years, and we decided that we wanted to go through th process to have this rule in place that we could use if we wanted to use it,” Olson said.
The DNR will take public comment on the the plan at a meeting on Thursday, with a final vote next month.
