1929 – July 4, Drownings, Grand Haven State Park, Lake Michigan, MI — 10
–10 Ewing. Directory, Historical Topics, Northwest Ottawa County. 1999.
–10 News-Palladium, Benton Harbor, MI. “10 Drown at Grand Haven.” 7-5-1929, p. 1.
Narrative Information
Ewing: “July 4, 1929 proved to be the deadliest days ever at Grand Haven State Park when ten people drowned, including two brothers. The victims were [we place names in separate lines}
Mildred Fifield, 16, Grand Rapids;
Robert Schindler, 20, Alpine Township, Kent County;
Julius Tisch, 20, Grand Rapids;
Leonard Kellogg, 20, Grand Rapids;
Carl Rohloff, 21, Walker Township, Kent County;
Frank Petrowski, 40, Grand Rapids;
Rudolph Pitulik, 22, Detroit;
Erwin Pitulik, 17, Detroit;
Walter Schwartz, 19, Grand Rapids;
John Giddings, 21, Grand Rapids.
“Brothers Erwin and Rudolph Pitulik were visiting their parent’s farm in Robinson Township. They were buried at Lake Forest Cemetery.” (Ewing. Directory, Historical Topics, Northwest Ottawa County. 1999.)
Newspaper
July 5: “Bulletin (By Associated Press) GRAND HAVEN, Mich., July 5 – Only two bodies, those of Walter Schwartz and John Giddings, are still held by the waters of Lake Michigan, which yesterday took 10 lives. Bodies of four were taken from the like this morning. They were Rudolph and Erwin Pitiluk of Detroit, Frank Petruske and Carl Rohloff, of Grand Rapids. Search continued for Schwartz and Gidding.
“Death by drowning supplanted automobile fatalities yesterday to lead Michigan’s annual Fourth of July toll of dead, 22 persons being reported drowned at beaches and resorts during the day.
“Ten of the 22 lost their lives in Lake Michigan at Grand Haven when the surf and undertow carried them to almost simultaneous death. Officials are investigating the possibility that an 11th man who is missing, was among the drowned.
“Five members of a family group of six drowned in Lake Huron when their sailboat capsized in a high wind. The sixth member, a 12-year-old boy, clung to the boat for nine hours before he was rescued by a passing steamer.
“In and near Detroit, at lakes, beaches, resorts and rivers, seven persons were reported drowned.
….
“All were residents of Grand Haven except the latter two brothers, who were from Detroit. Bodies of four were recovered byt lake shore residents said it might be days before bodies of the others were washed ashore.
“The three guards stationed at the beach launched a boat in an attempt to rescue the nine struggling outside the surf line gut their small craft foundered before fairly underway. Miss Fifield was among the four on the pier. Attempts to revive her failed.
“Guards said they warned all bathers as they entered the water that the surf and undertow made it unsafe to swim far out but that the nine swimmers drowned disregarded the caution and were pulled under while attempting to regain shore after swimming to a raft anchored off the beach….”
(News-Palladium, Benton Harbor, MI. “10 Drown at Grand Haven.” 7-5-1929, pp. 1 and 17.)
Sources
Ewing, Wallace K. Directory, Historical Topics, Northwest Ottawa County. Grand Haven, MI: Tri-Cities Historical Museum, 1999. Accessed at: http://www.loutitlibrary.org/images/ewing_books/HISTtopics.htm#_Toc200804327
News-Palladium, Benton Harbor, MI. “10 Drown at Grand Haven.” 7-5-1929, p. 1. Accessed 2-9-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/benton-harbor-news-palladium-jul-05-1929-p-1/