A routine evening at Portage Lake turned tragic last Friday when a 42-year-old Pinckney man drowned after going into Mud Bay to rescue his dogs, according to authorities. Nearby people managed to pull the animals to shore, but the man slipped under the surface and did not come back up. First responders worked for roughly 90 minutes before recovering him. He was brought to shore and later pronounced dead by Livingston County EMS.
Boats, drones and divers swarm Mud Bay
Deputies and volunteer teams rushed to Mud Bay on Portage Lake near Putnam Township around 7:30 p.m. last Friday and launched a broad search that used boats, drones, sonar, an AquaEye remotely operated vehicle and divers. The Livingston County dive team led an approximately 90-minute underwater search while D.A.R.T., the Unadilla Township and Dexter fire departments, and Pinckney and Hamburg Township police assisted at the scene. Those details were reported by MLive.
Regional strike teams called in for backup
Strike teams from the Southeast Michigan Dive Group, a mutual-aid coalition coordinated by the Oakland County Sheriff, were mobilized to bolster local dive crews. The Oakland County Sheriff's Office describes the group as a multi-agency technical support unit that can deploy divers, sonar and specialized equipment across several counties, according to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.
Conditions at the scene and a stark safety warning
The man, identified only as a 42-year-old Pinckney resident, went into the water without a life jacket to try to save his dogs, authorities said. Witnesses pulled the animals to safety, but he went under and was later found in about 20 feet of water that was roughly 72 degrees. Those findings were reported by MLive. Mud Bay is listed as a slow-no-wake area under Michigan boating rules, according to the Legal Information Institute.
The American Red Cross has long advised people to avoid going into the water after someone or a pet is in trouble, urging would-be rescuers to “reach or throw, don't go” and to use a pole or flotation device while calling trained responders instead, the American Red Cross notes.
The Livingston County Sheriff's Office detective bureau is handling the investigation and has asked anyone with information to contact the department. Neighbors and first responders at the scene described the loss as a sobering reminder of how quickly an attempt to save a pet can turn fatal and urged extra caution around area lakes this weekend.
