OTTAWA COUNTY (WHTC-AM/FM) — The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit Sgt. Eric Westveer issued a safety statement, in light of high-water levels.
Safety concerns, he said, include electrical-shock drowning and floating debris, as well as property damage to the shorelines with erosion, flooding, and damage to docks and seawalls.
Boaters, he said, need to use extra caution navigating the waterways, because that floating debris includes large trees that have been uprooted and pieces of broken docks.
“These unseen dangers can be hazardous to boat operations as well as recreational watersports,” he wrote in an email to media Tuesday morning. “Boaters are also asked to know their waterways and local Slow No Wake areas.”
Even normal wakes from the boats are creating erosion along the shoreline and seawalls, whether or not it’s a Slow No Wake zone, he said. Boaters can expect increased police, U.S. Coast Guard and state marine patrols along the shoreline, he said.
Westveer said marina users face an increased danger of Electrical Shock Drowning, or ESD. This is when electrical current gets into the water — either by accident if a plugged-in cord falls into the water, or charged cords or devices are damaged or not rated for use near the water.
Electricity in the water can electrocute and paralyze swimmers or pets, causing them to drown.
High-water has increased this risk at the majority of docks, Westveer said.
Water levels around the piers in Holland and Grand Haven, creating slippery and otherwise hazardous conditions. Anyone risking a walk on the piers should “use extreme care to prevent falls.”
Even the smallest wave, he said, can now wash over the top of the pier, raising the risk of people being swept off.
Anyone in or near the water, he said, should practice safety habits: wearing lifejackets, limiting alcohol consumption, knowing each swimmer’s abilities — and obeying warning flags posted at beaches.
