A somber recovery unfolded on Lake Michigan on Friday as divers located the body of a 26-year-old man who had gone missing the previous day, FOX 17 reports. Officials from the Muskegon County Sheriff's Office announced that the body was found roughly 2 miles from the Muskegon Channel in depths reaching 80 feet, the victim had fallen from a boat Thursday morning and was not seen again after being unable to grasp a life vest thrown to him. The effort to locate him extended over two days, hindered by adverse weather that caused the search to pause temporarily.
The local community mobilized a substantial search that included multiple departments, as the victim was not wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident, the body was recovered at 10:28 a.m. after the search resumed on Friday morning, and despite the extensive collaboration which involved the Norton Shores Police Department, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S. Coast Guard among others.
In the wake of the recovery, Coast Guard Master Chief Kyle Thomas emphasized the importance of wearing a personal flotation device while on the water, especially during this time of the year when “…The water temperature is typically much colder than air temperature this time of year, so we just encourage everyone to please wear your personal flotation device,” according to a statement obtained by WOOD TV.
The name of the deceased has not been made public as of Friday, while recovery efforts witnessed collaboration from the Norton Shores, Muskegon, Muskegon Township, and North Muskegon fire departments and police, alongside state and federal agencies, according to details shared by wzzm13.
