Rescue ring installed at beach, ready for season

The rescue ring is in place at Laketown Township Beach for the Memorial Day holiday and summer season. Beachgoers need to be aware that the wooden steps from the beach up the sand dune have been removed and the walk back to the parking lot will be extremely challenging if not dangerous.

Life ring and signs

The large red rescue ring hangs with two rip current warning signs – one in English, the other in Spanish – that greet visitors.

Brett Grams, facilities operations for the township, installed the ring on Thursday, May 22, 2025. It will remain through Labor Day.

The Laketown Township Parks and Recreation Commission purchased the ring and signs in 2022.

The signs explain the dangers of rip currents and what to do in case a swimmer gets caught in one. The life ring can be used as a flotation device to help a swimmer in need.

Rip currents are powerful, channeled currents of water flowing away from shore, according to the National Weather Service. Rip currents can occur at any beach with breaking waves. They can pull a swimmer away from shore and submerge them.

State parks and other beaches use a flag system to warn visitors of lake dangers. Laketown Beach does not have warning flags or lifeguards. Beachgoers are advised to check the National Weather Service website for lake conditions.

The beach is open dawn until dusk and monitored by cameras. No campfires or bonfires fires are permitted in any Laketown Park, including Laketown Beech. No dogs allowed. Parking limits are strictly enforced.

Stay on the trails and do not damage the grass that holds the sand in place.

The steps

The first set of steps from the parking lot to the front of the dune were cleared by volunteers during Community Impact Day on May 14. The 32-year-old wooden steps at the south end of the park, though, were removed this spring. They led from the top of the dune to the lakeshore.

To get to the beach, take the path through “the bowl,” a steep drop with a flat bottom. Stay off the edges and do not disturb the dune grass. Once at the bottom of “the bowl,” you’ll see another small hill. Go up and head to the lake.

Heed the no trespassing signs.

To get back up the dune, stairs are no longer an option. Visitors must walk back up through “the bowl,” the same way they came down to the water. It is a difficult walk because of the soft sand. There are no handrails or any assistance to get back up.

The township is ordering warning signs telling visitors of the danger and extremely difficult climb.