The National Park Service (NPS) said on Tuesday that thousands of pieces of shattered glass found on the shore of Lake Michigan were placed there with “malicious intent.”



NPS said in a statement that the pieces found at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore are similar to those found nearby two years ago, leading park rangers to believe they were placed intentionally.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Just like the Lane Road incident, the glass was not dumped in one spot, but is spread fairly uniformly up and down the beach for several hundred yards,” Leelanau District Ranger Andy Blake said. “It is definitely a hazard to beachgoers as it consists of literally thousands of freshly broken pieces mostly one half to two inches in size.”

Park Superintendent Scott Tucker said he was “outraged” by the incident, which takes place as warmer weather is expected to draw more visitors to the popular destination in northern Michigan.

“I am outraged by this act that is clearly intended to injure visitors to the National Lakeshore. Thousands of pieces of broken glass do not appear on the beach without malicious intent,” he said. “I hope our visitors and the local community can help identify the person or persons who would deliberately harm our beachgoers, including children.”

Tucker added that volunteers will be working with park staff to clean up the lakeshore.

NPS noted that glass of any kind is not allowed at the park’s beaches.