(WXYZ) — A 26-year-old Detroit man drowned in Cass Lake on Sunday, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.
According to the sheriff’s office, the man, who did not know how to swim, may have thought the water was shallow when he left the boat, but it was actually 55 feet deep.
Officials say the victim was on a 20-foot boat with four other people, and the boat had been trolling over a sandbar in the lake before moving to deep water. After the victim went in, a friend reportedly tried to help him, but officials say the victim panicked and the friend could not hold him.
Officials say they received the 911 call around 4:15 p.m. After sorting through conflicting location information, the sheriff’s office said they got to the victim within six minutes of figuring out his approximate location and began performing CPR.
The victim was transported to a local hospital, where he later died, officials say.
“With the onset of warmer weather and a substantial increase in water activity, we urge people to employ flotation devices and wear them if they are not strong swimmers, irrespective of the situation,” Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a statement. “Additionally, it is crucial to have life-saving equipment on board boats to rescue individuals in distress. An enjoyable day on the water can rapidly become a tragic moment.”
