Coast Guard Searching for Missing Man in Lake Michigan

U.S. Coast Guard crews are searching for a man who went missing from his boat in Lake Michigan, Monday night.

The search commenced at 7 p.m. after a watchstander at Coast Guard Station Ludington, Michigan, received a phone call from the man’s friend reporting that the man had not reached his destination.

The missing man left Whitehall Marina in Whitehall, Michigan, at 1 p.m. and told his friend that he was going to sail 39 miles north in Lake Michigan to Snug Harbor in Pentwater Lake. When the man had not reached Snug Harbor by 7 p.m., his friend called Coast Guard Station Ludington.

A rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Ludington launched aboard a 25-foot response boat, and a rescue air crew from Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Michigan, launched aboard a Dolphin helicopter.

At 10 p.m., after receiving a  report from a good Samaritan, the man’s boat was discovered in Lake Michigan approximately five miles north of the entrance to White Lake with all equipment and life jackets aboard.

Currently searching are boat crews from Coast Guard Station Muskegon, Michigan, and a rescue air crew aboard a Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City. Also searching are rescue crews from Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Muskegon County Sheriff’s Office.

“The Coast Guard has been searching throughout the night with multiple assets,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Dillan Clark, the officer-of-the-day at Coast Guard Station Muskegon.

“We had an early alert to this boater's distress because he was smart and let someone know where he was going and when he planned to arrive. We plan to continue searching in conjunction with partner agencies with the hope of a successful outcome.”

uscgnews.com