A 46-year-old Belleville man died early Friday after going overboard from a boat near Miller Marina in St. Clair Shores, setting off an hours-long search involving sheriff's marine, K-9 and drone units before his body was recovered from Lake St. Clair. Narvell Campbell was pronounced dead at the scene once searchers found him.
Authorities were notified at approximately 2:23 a.m. Friday that Campbell had gone overboard near Miller Marina, according to countryherald.com. A separate report from WXYZ states that the Macomb County Sheriff's Office responded after authorities were notified around 2:20 a.m. that a man had gone overboard near the marina — a small discrepancy in the reported timeline that has not been resolved. Investigators believe Campbell and another passenger had been aboard the boat, a 26-foot 1987 Sea Ray later recovered by the U.S. Coast Guard, per the same account from countryherald.com.
Search Crews Scrambled Before Dawn
The St. Clair Shores Police Department, the Macomb County Sheriff's Office Marine Division and the Coast Guard all responded to the scene, the outlet reported. The sheriff's office's K-9 and drone units were called in to assist, and the department's Underwater Search and Recovery Team ultimately took over the search, WXYZ reported — a detail given to that station specifically.
The two outlets differ slightly on when Campbell was found. Countryherald.com reported that members of the underwater team recovered Campbell from the water at approximately 8:54 a.m. Friday, while WXYZ reported he was found around 8:55 a.m. and pronounced dead at the scene. CBS Detroit likewise reported that the body of a Southeast Michigan man was found in the water near St. Clair Shores, attributing the account to the Macomb County Sheriff's Office, which also expressed sympathies to Campbell's family and friends.
No Foul Play Suspected, Investigation Continues
Investigators said no foul play is suspected at this time, although the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation, according to countryherald.com. The identity and condition of the second passenger believed to have been aboard the boat has not been disclosed.
Campbell's death adds to a difficult stretch on Lake St. Clair this year. Earlier this month, three Macomb County residents were found dead following a two-boat collision off Harrison Township involving a 1981 Formula Thunderbird and a 1991 Sea Ray Sundancer, according to The Macomb Daily. A woman survived that crash by swimming an estimated 60 to 90 minutes to shore after being ejected from the vessel, the Detroit Free Press reported, and investigators in that case have been reviewing surveillance footage from nearby marinas and businesses as part of their inquiry.
In September, the Wayne County Marine Division recovered the body of a 74-year-old man from Lake St. Clair near the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club, days after he fell overboard and prompted a search involving U.S. and Canadian coast guard crews, MLive reported. And in a separate incident, three occupants of a Formula Thunderbird died after a two-vessel collision near MacRay Harbor, while a fourth person swam to shore and was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, according to CBS News Detroit.
Overnight Hours Carry Highest Risk, Data Shows
National figures underscore how dangerous the overnight hours can be on the water. The U.S. Coast Guard verified 3,887 recreational boating incidents nationwide in 2024, resulting in 556 deaths and 2,170 injuries, according to the agency's 2024 Recreational Boating Statistics report. Among incidents with known timing, those occurring between midnight and 2:30 a.m. carried the highest fatality rate of any time window, at 30 percent, per the same federal data.
Falling overboard was the first event recorded in 239 recreational boating incidents nationwide in 2024, associated with 138 deaths and 104 injuries, the Coast Guard report shows. Michigan alone recorded 28 recreational boating deaths that year, according to the agency's state registration figures. As of Friday, investigators continue to piece together exactly what happened aboard the Sea Ray near Miller Marina before Campbell went into the water.
