South Haven Area Emergency Services Rescues

ropes being deployed for Kal-Haven cyclist rescue (photo from South Haven Area Emergency Services)

from South Haven Area Emergency Serives

One rescue reported here took place on private property, but for the second time this month the ropes rescue team has been able to successfully bring a victime to safety.

On July 9, a cyclist went off the Kal-Haven Trail and slid 20-25 feet down a slope into a ravine. Emergency personnel stabilized the patient, deployed rope systems to haul them back to the trail, and used a UTV to transport them roughly half a mile to a waiting ambulance where the person was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries

This week, a person fell off a lift designed to carry people up and down a 100-foot Lake Michigan dune. In this case, the victim was placed in a stokes basket, lowered to lake level and then brought back to the top of the dune for transport. The injuries were not life-threatening. However, the resuce took 10 people and more than an hour to accomplish.

This article is a reminder that emergency personnel are highly trained to assist those in need. However, staying safe in the first place is always a good practice.

See article about Kal-Haven rescue


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Porter Legacy Dunes Opens to Public

Lake Michigan from Porter Legacy Dunes (photo from Southwest Michigan Land Conservanty)

from News Channel 3

Porter Legacy Dunes in South Haven, Michigan, is now open to the public. It is located adjacent to Pilgrim Haven Natural area, and the two properties result in two miles of natural shoreline stretching from Pilgrim Haven to Van Buren State Park.

In 2020, a partnership of Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy (SWMLC) and the South Haven Area Recreation Authority (SHARA) purchased the land through state grants and other donations. Since then, planning and construction of trails has been ongoing, thanks to grants from Entergy Corporation and the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund.

Part of the Porter Legacy Dunes trail system features a boardwalk that winds along a rare forested backdune ecosystem. There is also a half-mile long ADA accessible loop trail, and an elevated Lake Michigan overlook.

The property is owned by SHARA, but they have signed a 20-year memorandum with SWMLC to preserve and maintain the natural habitat.

Access the preserve via the parking at Pilgrim Haven. Visitors are asked to stay on the trails.

See more at Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy


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Man Swept Off Pier Survives Thanks to Life Rings

the actual moment of being washed off the pier (photo by Ryan Bale)

a news release of South Haven Area Emergency Services

Through its ongoing beach safety program, the City of South Haven, Michigan, installed year-round life ring stations in 2023. The South Haven Rotary Club supported the program with a $13,500 grant for the installation of the six stations located on the south and north piers. This safety equipment, along with quick action by a friend, saved a life.

South Haven Area Emergency Services (SHAES) and South Haven Police Department responded to a report of a person being swept off the pier into the water at 5:40 p.m.

A 57-year-old man, reported to be from out-of-state, escaped with his life when waves swept him off the Lake Michigan south pier in South Haven on Friday evening. (March 13, 2026)

A second person with the victim threw him a life ring and pulled him to safety. He was out of the water when authorities arrived. The incident occurred near the lighthouse end of the pier. The subject was taken to Bronson-South Haven Hospital for treatment of injuries.

The pier was closed at the time with waves sweeping over it.

Persons who go onto the piers in South Haven when they are closed are subject to a $1,000 fine. The city declared the piers closed earlier in the day because of the high wind and wave conditions.

Ryan Bale captured the moment the subject was being washed off the pier into the lake. Let this photo be a reminder of the power of the lake waves and the dangers they pose. Please take seriously any closings of the many piers along Great Lakes shorelines.


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Cheboygan, South Haven, Boyne City Certify Clean Marinas

a news release of Michigan Sea Grant

Three Michigan marinas—Walstrom Marine in Cheboygan, South Haven Municipal Marina group in South Haven and Grant Moore Municipal Marina in Boyne City—are the most recent facilities to achieve official designation as clean marinas through the Michigan Clean Marina Program.

The new designations bring the total number of clean marinas in Michigan to 21. Designated clean marinas have implemented a suite of best management practices that promote environmentally sound marina and boating practices. “The program is a win-win situation,” said Chuck Pistis, state coordinator for Michigan Sea Grant. “Marinas – all marinas – play an important role in the critical areas of where land meets water. The Clean Marina Program helps address how to protect those areas while looking at the long-term sustainability of a marina from a business perspective.”

The Michigan Clean Marina Program is a voluntary stewardship program open to all public and private marinas in the state. The designation process begins with a pledge to participate, followed by workshops where the marina management and staff receive a marina handbook, overview of the designation process and a review of best management practices related to topics such as storm water management, petroleum control, and boat maintenance and repair, among others.

The facilities then conduct self-evaluations of their environmental practices to determine strengths and weaknesses. After implementing improvements and reaching program benchmarks, the marina requests a visit by a CMP consultant, who evaluates the facility’s environmental stewardship. When the facility reaches established goals, it receives the designation as a clean marina.

“It’s great from a reducing-human-impact standpoint and it makes good business sense,” said Pistis. “Marinas need to be reflective of the attitudes and desires of their customers and they have to respond to what their customers know is important.”

The Clean Marina Program (CMP) is a joint undertaking by the Michigan Boating Industries Association, Michigan Sea Grant and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

Marina affiliates interested in the program can get more information at the upcoming Clean Marina workshop on December 5 in Bay City. Registration is due by November 24 and can be made by visiting www.mbia.org or by calling Jeff Spencer at 517-241-5719.

See Clean Marina Brochure (a pdf)
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