Headed For A Day at the Michigan Dunes? Don’t Get Stuck

At Sleeping Bear Dunes, a lot of people go to No. 9 Overlook. They look down from 450-feet up and then they decide to walk down the dune to Lake Michigan. Sometimes they fall down and get hurt because it's really steep. Sometimes the problem happens when they decide to hike back up. And they can't make it. Too many burgers at the campsite. Too many beers. Joining the gym and then not going. Whatever—it ain't happening. So they call 911 and wait to get rescued, and according to MLive.com, that just got more expensive.

Why? Because Lake Michigan thought it would be funny this year to let its water level raise to the point that there's no beach and the Glen Lake Fire Department can't drive their ATVs down the beach to the bottom of the dune to pick you up. It used to cost about $650 to rescue somebody. Now they have to get a special team to do an “advanced technical rescue” from the top of the dune. That rescue runs between $1600 and $2200.

And you get the bill. Yeah—you pay, not the "911 fairy." So, enjoy the view while you take the ride in that rescue stretcher.

According to MLive, only about half of the people actually pay up (so the Glen Lake Fire Department has to eat the expense).

Here's the story. I hear it's leg day at the gym, and don't you have to be there in 26 minutes?