A 70-year-old Livonia man, identified as Thomas Patrick Moran, was found dead in the Pere Marquette River in Northern Michigan, Mason County Sheriff's Office confirmed. Moran had been reported missing after failing to return from a fly-fishing trip on Feb. 1, sparking an extensive search.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office contacted Mason/Oceana 911 early in the morning to report the missing person, leading to Moran's vehicle being discovered unoccupied at Maple Leaf Access parking area at 6:05 a.m. The search continued and Moran was tragically found deceased in the river about six hours later, downstream from where his vehicle was found, Patch reported.
Authorities are still piecing together the events that led to this heartbreaking outcome. The ongoing investigation suggests the cause of death to be accidental or stemming from medical issues. "On behalf of the men and women at the Mason County Sheriff's Office, our thoughts are with the Moran family during this difficult time," Sheriff Kim Cole was quoted in a statement obtained by MLive.
Moran had been on a vacation in Lake County when the incident occurred. Following the initial missing person's report on Feb. 1, the recovery of Moran's body on Feb. 2 was confirmed by multiple sources, ClickOnDetroit reported. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Branch Fire Department, and Life EMS were acknowledged to also have assisted at the scene.
The Mason County community has been left to grapple with the somber reminder of nature's unpredictable power. An autopsy is scheduled to conclusively determine the official cause of Moran's death. As the investigation continues, officials request that the privacy of Moran's family is respected during this time of mourning.
