MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — Beaches along Lake Michigan in Door, Kewaunee and Manitowoc counties are under a beach hazard advisory this weekend, and the alert system at Neshotah Beach in Two Rivers designed to warn visitors of dangerous conditions, is not functioning.
The system of lights intended to alert swimmers to dangerous wave and rip current conditions based on National Weather Service data has been temporarily shut down due to technical issues.
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"Our signage is out there to basically promote public safety at the beach," said Jacob Soter, director of SwimSmart, the company that makes the alert system.
Soter explained that the malfunction occurred when they attempted to incorporate county water quality data into the existing system.
"Trying to coordinate two distinct agencies can have some issues. And it's because of that that we had some code issues."
The timing is particularly concerning as conditions on Lake Michigan are expected to be hazardous throughout the weekend.
"Conditions are dangerous. We don't recommend swimming this weekend or walking along the pier, unfortunately," Soter said.
When I reached out to the City of Two Rivers about the system issues, they referred me to Swim Smart for questions.
Swim Smart recommends that beach-goers check the National Weather Service website for the most accurate information on wave and current conditions until the alert system is restored.
SwimSmart indicated that the lights should be working properly again by the end of the weekend at the latest.
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