GREAT LAKES, (WOWO) — Drownings are down in the Great Lakes this year as compared to the same time last year.

Bridge Michigan reports that there have been 38 drownings in the Great Lakes this year -that’s down 36 percent from last year’s 56.

Half of the drowning incidents happened in Lake Michigan.

Officials say that over the long Independence Day weekend, nearly a dozen people drowned in inland lakes, private ponds, and pools.

Using flotation devices and observing warning flags on the Great Lakes is fundamental to water safety.