Three people are dead after a boat crashed and capsized in Lake St. Clair near MacRay Harbor in Harrison Township on Wednesday night. One passenger survived by swimming to shore, where a nearby resident called 911, while the three others were later recovered from the submerged vessel and pronounced dead at the scene.
The crash happened around 8 p.m. Wednesday, according to fox2detroit.com, which reported that the surviving passenger swam to shore and that a resident alerted emergency dispatchers. Marine Division deputies and members of the Macomb County Sheriff's Office Underwater Search and Rescue Team responded and began searching the area, per the same outlet's account, as reported by ClickOnDetroit.
Search crews worked through the night looking for the remaining people aboard the capsized boat. The Marine Division deputies and the MCSO Underwater Search and Rescue Team ultimately recovered three people from the submerged vessel, and all three were pronounced dead at the scene, according to wxyz.com.
Timing Details Remain Unclear
Local reports place the recovery at about 5 a.m. Thursday. Fox 2 reported that three people were recovered then, and ClickOnDetroit and WXYZ also place the recovery around that time. ClickOnDetroit reported a 911 call around 10:48 p.m.
Authorities have not released the names of the victims or any other identifying details about the people who died, the outlet noted. The cause of death and the circumstances that led to the crash have also not been made public.
Investigation Still Active
The Macomb County Sheriff's Office said the investigation remains active and ongoing, according to Fox 2's report. Audacy similarly noted that it remains unclear what led to the boat overturning as the investigation continues.
The tragedy adds to a difficult stretch for boaters on Lake St. Clair. In August, a separate personal watercraft accident near Lakeshore, Ontario, resulted in the deaths of two Canadian teenagers, according to cbsnews.com. Four teenagers ages 15 through 17 were injured in that crash, and first responders pulled four people from the lake, the outlet reported, adding that the case remains under investigation by multiple Ontario Provincial Police units.
No further details about the MacRay Harbor crash have been released as investigators continue their work. Hoodline will update this story as authorities release more information.
