You’ll rarely be alone in the waters around the western Erie islands.

The waters around South Bass Island are swarming with small craft, both recreational vessels and professional charter boats and, during daylight hours at least, it is almost impossible to be alone on the lake. While this creates hazards of its own, it also means that there is plenty of potential assistance available should you meet with an emergency on the water. If in distress, call out on VHF channel 16 of your marine radio and plenty of help will be forthcoming. Towing services are available out of Sandusky Bay and, for real emergencies, the Coast Guard operates a station in Marblehead about a mile west of the lighthouse.

Once on the island, there is no hospital, but an EMS station is located downtown. As always, when on land, call 911 if you are in need of help.