RACINE — Beachgoers looking forward to cooling off at Racine's Quarry Lake Park were greeted with a beach closed sign and barricades Monday afternoon.
"I'm really bummed because I was looking forward to going in the water to swim," swimmer, Zachary Reynolds said.
Reynolds and his friends walked about 40 minutes in the extreme heat only to find that they couldn't get in the water.
"I wish it was open, but the county is doing a good job ya know, closing it just so they can see the problem, what's going on," Reynolds said.
The county closed the beach Monday after there were major safety concerns with the underwater drop-off.
TMJ4 reported on this issue just three days ago when the beach was still open.
"There's been a lot of safety concerns over the past few years at this quarry between cliff jumping and drownings. Do you just want it to be safe for everybody," I asked.
"Yes, I really do like safety is most important, especially like when there's people wanting to swim, especially kids. Safety is first," Reynolds said.
As the water conditions have changed, the county says the park will be closed until at least late July or maybe August.
WATCH: Swimmers turned away at Racine's Quarry Lake Park beach after safety concerns
"It does honestly suck, but it's fine, we got North Beach to go to that's fine," swimmer, Brandon Pfifer said.
Pfifer, Reynolds' friend, thinks the county could add more safety measures as they work on the quarry improvement project.
"I wish that they actually put some lifeguards here. I get that it's a small lake, but 1 or 2 lifeguards wouldn't hurt, honestly," Pfifer explained.
The parks department says that people who trespass to swim, fish, or go on the beach could face a $300 ticket.
The county posted this statement on Facebook:
"Effective this morning, June 23, 2025, Quarry Lake Park is closed to the public out of an abundance of caution due to safety concerns related to the underwater drop-off near the beach area. While signage has been posted, recent changes in water conditions have made the drop-off less visible, and we cannot ensure the risk is communicated clearly enough to keep all visitors safe.
We are mindful of the concerns raised by residents and visitors, and we take them seriously. Racine County remains committed to prioritizing safety while we complete the Quarry Lake Park improvement project—which includes replacing deteriorating retaining walls with a gently sloped shoreline, adding ADA-compliant features, and upgrading infrastructure to enhance accessibility and support long-term maintenance."
This story was reported on-air by Megan Lee and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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