South Beach closes following two water rescues in under an hour

Photo credit South Haven Area Emergency Services/Facebook

South Haven Area Emergency Services rescued two swimmers within one hour at South Beach Friday afternoon as visitors tried to find relief from the excessive heat.

The first rescue happened at 12:30 p.m. after an 18-year-old man got caught in rip currents.

Chief Ron Wise of SHAES jumped into the water and took a life ring to the struggling swimmer. South Haven Police pulled the chief and the swimmer to safety.

The 18-year-old did not require medical attention, according to SHAES.

The second incident happened at 1:05 p.m. A woman was struggling in the water, so a bystander grabbed a life jacket from her car and swam out to the person in distress.

As emergency responders arrived, the two women reached shore.

The victim was taken by ambulance to the hospital.

A portion of South Beach has been closed because of the dangerous conditions.

Many beaches on Lake Michigan, including South Beach, are under a red-flag warning because of the conditions.