Detroit man drowns in Oakland County lake

KEEGO HARBOR., MI (FOX2) - Police believe that a 26-year-old Detroit man dove into the water at Cass Lake, thinking it was shallow, when in fact it was 55-feet deep. 

Unfortunately for the man, who did not know how to swim, he drowned in the deep waters.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team was called to the area shortly after 4 p.m. The man was pulled from the water and pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly after. 

"With the onset of warmer weather and a substantial increase in water activity, we urge people to employ flotation devices and wear them if they are not strong swimmers, irrespective of the situation," Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. "Additionally, it is crucial to have life-saving equipment on board boats to rescue individuals in distress. An enjoyable day on the water can rapidly become a tragic moment." 

The man was on a 20-foot boat with four other people. The boat had been trolling over a sandbar in the lake, but it moved to deeper water. The man was apparently unaware the boat had moved and entered the lake, where it was 55 feet deep, and he lost contact with the boat.

A friend on the boat jumped into the lake to assist the man. Team members said the friend was able to get the man to the surface momentarily, but the man was panicking, and the friend could not hold him and the man went underwater. 

Conflicting information as to exactly where the man went into the water hampered the rescue attempt. Once divers located the approximate location about 1,700 feet from the shoreline, they found the man within six minutes. Rescue personnel immediately began CPR on the man.