Livingston County sheriff's deputies pulled a person from the water at Portage Lake on Wednesday afternoon and immediately began performing CPR as an emergency response unfolded at the lake. The scene remained active in the hours that followed, with the person's condition unclear as crews worked to stabilize them.
Deputies were called to the lake around 3:30 p.m. and left the scene just after 5 p.m., according to FOX 2 Detroit. The outlet reported that the Livingston County Sheriff's Office pulled the individual from the water and that the person, identified as a 70-year-old man, was taken to University of Michigan's hospital. His condition was unknown as of Wednesday evening. FOX 2's report indicated the man fell into the water while attempting to get to his jet ski, though that detail carries less certainty than the other confirmed facts of the response.
As reported by ClickOnDetroit, deputies pulled the person from Portage Lake water and began cardiopulmonary resuscitation on scene. The outlet confirmed the incident occurred Wednesday, Oct. 21, and that the scene remained active, noting the story was still developing with updates expected as more information became available.
A Second Scare at the Same Lake in Months
Wednesday's rescue marks the second serious water emergency at Portage Lake in recent months. In July, a 42-year-old Pinckney man drowned after entering the lake without a life jacket to try to rescue his dogs, a tragedy reported by the Livingston Daily. Nearby citizens managed to pull the dogs from the water before the man went under and failed to resurface.
That earlier incident occurred in Mud Bay on Portage Lake, near Arthurs Court and Lancelot Lane in Putnam Township, according to WHMI, which identified the victim as 43-year-old Chad Papow — a detail that differs from the Livingston Daily's reported age of 42. The Livingston County Dive Team searched for roughly 90 minutes before recovering the man in about 20 feet of water, with assistance from strike teams out of Oakland, Genesee, Lapeer and Wayne counties using boats, drones, sonar and underwater search technology. He was brought ashore to Livingston County EMS, where he was later pronounced deceased.
No agency beyond Livingston County sheriff's deputies has been confirmed as part of Wednesday's response, and the exact circumstances that led to the rescue have not been independently verified. This is a developing story, and further details are expected as authorities release more information.
