Man in his 50s critically injured, two others remain hospitalized

A man in his 50s was left in critical condition after crews pulled three people from the water at Pere Marquette Beach in Muskegon. A man in his 20s and a teenage girl also remained hospitalized after the Friday afternoon rescue.

Muskegon firefighters responded to the water emergency at Pere Marquette Park, where the group was pulled from the water and taken for medical care. The beach is one of the area’s most heavily used summer shoreline spots, and the call added to a stretch of urgent rescues along Great Lakes beaches as warm-weather crowds move into the water.

The latest condition update identified the oldest victim as the most seriously hurt, with the man in his 50s in critical condition. The man in his 20s and the teenage girl were still being treated in hospital, underscoring how quickly a beach rescue can escalate from a single incident to multiple patients needing emergency transport.

Pere Marquette Beach sits in a public recreation area where swimmers, families and shoreline visitors share open water that can change fast. In midsummer, the combination of stronger winds, sudden waves and crowded swimming areas can make it harder for people to judge risk and harder for crews to reach victims quickly once trouble starts.

The rescue puts a spotlight on the basic protections that matter at beaches and waterways: clearly posted warnings, visible patrol coverage, and rapid access to rescue gear and trained responders. When those safeguards are thin or visitors miss warning signs, a routine swim can become a mass casualty call in minutes.