Officials say 34 people drowned in the Great Lakes this year as of the Fourth of July.

Officials say 34 people drowned in the Great Lakes this year as of the Fourth of July.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Drownings in Lake Michigan have reached record levels with at least 53 people dead so far this year, according to a water safety advocacy group. The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, a nonprofit that tracks Great Lakes drownings, said that compares with 48 drownings in 2019 and 42 in 2018. Since 2010, there has been a total of 434 drownings in Lake Michigan, according to the project. Benjamin said the group collects information about fatal incidents from news articles, social media reports, and tips from family members and witnesses. He added that social media has helped the tracker to be more accurate.