Police searching Lake Michigan for 14-year-old boy in Grand Haven

GRAND HAVEN — Police and pedestrians alike searched for a swimmer who went missing off Grand Haven State Park on Sunday afternoon. The search includes the Grand Haven Department of Public Safety, Grand Haven Township firefighters, the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office and the Coast Guard, among others.

According to police, the missing person is a 14-year-old boy.

Beachgoers formed a human chain and waded through the 4-5 foot waves.

In a 6:15 p.m. update, Grand Haven Public Safety Director Jeff Hawke said there were whitecaps on Lake Michigan, making the search for the boy “ difficult.”

There were two long shore currents along the beach, along with a structural current along the Grand Haven pier, making the search even more treacherous for first responders.

A red flag was flying at the state park, which is a sign to swimmers to stay out of the water due to dangerous conditions. It was also flying at the time the boy went missing.

“The power of the water is underestimated and those currents can be very deadly,” Hawke said to reporters at the scene.

Searches resumed for the boy, who is from Grand Rapids, Monday morning.

Ottawa County Sheriff divers were in the water and a crew was on board a marine patrol boat with a sonar scan device at about 8 a.m. Monday, as they continued the search for a missing swimmer.

Grand Haven State Park remained closed to the public during the search.

The 14-year-old was swimming with family just outside of the swim buoys straight out from the park's main entrance guard shack.

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter from Muskegon participated in the search, as did rigid hull rescue boats from Station Grand Haven.

Monday morning, the Michigan State Police joined the search with a remote-controlled scanner.

This is the first drowning this summer at Grand Haven State Park. Earlier this summer, two boys drowned at Holland State Park on June 6, also a red flag day. Those boys were 6 years old and 17 years old.