Tragedy on Lake Mitchell

[TheLefthander]

Late Friday afternoon a man and his three young children were on the lake in a pontoon boat. High waves, whitecaps. One of the kids fell in the water. Father jumped in, saved him, then went back in himself. They still have not found him. Pontoon floated across Lake Mitchell with the three kids in and came to rest on dock next to mine. Helicopter, many Sheriff boats, others searched until dark, then called off the search. Will resume today at 9 a.m. Keep the family in your prayers.

[Mike S.]

Terrible thing to hear about. Luckily he was able to save his child.

[Dan]

A terrible tragedy to be sure. A case to be made for life jackets when kids are on the water.

[TheLefthander]

Kids all had life jackets on when they were at my dock last evening. I am told the father did not. As of 7 p.m. Saturday, no luck finding the missing man. Units from all over, as far as Ludington, have boats and crews looking. Family hanging out at the pavilion next to the State Park launch. Very sad.

[Waterfoul]

Passed thru Cadilac yesteray evening... was told they still had not found the father.  Tragic for sure.

I stress this in my safe boater class every year, and I use incidents like these as examples:

Wear your life jacket.  And if you should EVER have to go in after someone... make sure YOU have one on FIRST.  You can't save anyone if you drown, and in cases like the one this weekend, you leave behind a lot of people who will for ever be affected by your loss.

Don't go in after anyone without a PFD on and secure.  The 5 seconds it takes to put one on could save more than one life.

[Skulley]

Passed thru Cadilac yesteray evening... was told they still had not found the father.  Tragic for sure.

I stress this in my safe boater class every year, and I use incidents like these as examples:

Wear your life jacket.  And if you should EVER have to go in after someone... make sure YOU have one on FIRST.  You can't save anyone if you drown, and in cases like the one this weekend, you leave behind a lot of people who will for ever be affected by your loss.

Don't go in after anyone without a PFD on and secure.  The 5 seconds it takes to put one on could save more than one life.

Well said!!!!


BD.                                 

[djkimmel]

It is very sad that this happens ever. I'm wearing my auto-inflatable pretty much all the time now.

It is especially important to have everyone wearing one when multiple children are on the boat or even swimming near deep water. Things can go wrong so fast. I'm glad people do safe boating and swimming classes and training.

I think organized bass anglers can be a good source of reinforcement of safe boating and practices since we are visible and stick out. Lets all continue to set good examples for safe boating.

[korean_bassmaster]

Dont kno if any one has heard but they have found him wednesday morning on the southeast side of the lake. The funeral is monday.  Please remember to keep the family in Prayer exspecially this weekend considering its fathers day weekend.

[fiker]

With the new auto inflatable vest that are out there there's just no excuse not to wear them any more. 

[Dan]

I was in Cadillac the day that the body was found. My buddy, who I had breakfast with, is a retired state trooper and his nephew is on the Cadillac PD and was the one who pulled the body out. The four kids and the dad were on the grampa's pontoon boat.  All four kids had life jackets on. The three year old some how fell in and with the wind blowing hard, I'm sure started to float away from the pontoon. Not knowing how well the life jacket would support her the dad jumped in with jeans, steel toed boots, etc. The weight of the clothes and maybe his swimming ability  did him in as he struggled to get the 3 year old in. the 9 year old jumped in and got the 3 year old back on the pontoon and when she turned around dad was under the water. They drifted on the boat until grampa figured something was wrong and flagged down a boater to run out to the pontoon. The body floated to the south shore of Mitchell where it was recovered.
My retired State Trooper said that the State Police were never asked to assist with their resources in the recovery. There seems to be a thing going with the Sheriff Dept vs State Police. With tight budgets the states Sheriff Departments figure they can do the job of the State Police, and don't really need them. I guess off handedly they are say consolidate and do away with the State Police. Who knows, but the economy factors into everything these days.
This was a terrible tragedy and the dad just made a error in judgement, but if your little girl goes into a windy choppy lake, life jacket or not he's going in after her. If only he would have had a jacket or throwable, but...

[djkimmel]

I would have jumped in too for a child. I just need to remember next time I have kids around to make sure I have my life jacket on also. I pretty much wear my inflatable all the time now.

Very sad for the family.

Lets all try to set good or better examples from now on so other people follow the lead.

[TheLefthander]

He made a number of wrong decisions, but it was his loving paternal instinct that cost him his life. Yes, he should have changed those boots, yes, he should have had a life jacket on, no, he should not have even gone out in the rough water with a pontoon boat, but in the end, the family will remember that he loved his children and the decision to save his 2-year-old son was the right one.

[djkimmel]

Yes. I don't think anyone wants to forget that or diminish it.

We also all want to try to keep it from happening again because it is sad and tragic.