Coast Guard Rescues 2 Macomb Men From Lake Huron After Boat Capsizes

The Coast Guard rescued four Michigan boaters Tuesday morning, including two Macomb men, after their boat capsized Monday night and the group was forced to spend 14 hours in the waters of Lake Huron.

The boat's occupants included Ryan Miller, 36, and Brian Nelson, 40, both of Macomb Township, as well as Jackson Fisher, 10, of Linden and Dakota Mack, 12, of Midland, according to the Arenac County Independent. 

A search for the group was initiated Monday night when the owner of the vessel, who reportedly lent his 18-foot fishing boat to friends for the day, contacted the search-and-rescue coordinator from Coast Guard Sector Detroit to report the group was overdue to return.

The owner told the Coast Guard he had expected the group to return by sunset Monday, and during his last contact with them, they were departing Au Gres toward Saginaw Bay. The group’s last known location was five miles southwest of Au Gres, according to the Coast Guard.

When a rescue aircrew from the Coast Guard Air Station Detroit located the overturned vessel around 7:23 a.m. Tuesday, Nelson, Fisher and Mack were pulled out of the water by a nearby boater and transferred to a 41-foot Utility Boat from Coast Guard Station Saginaw River.

The three, who were all wearing life jackets, were transported to the Saginaw River Boat Ramp in stable condition. They declined medical services. Miller, who is believed to have left the group to attempt to swim to shore, was located and rescued by a boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Tawas at 8:30 a.m. He was wearing a life jacket. 

Miller was also taken to the Saginaw River Boat Ramp, where he declined medical services.

“The search and rescue efforts of the search party were greatly assisted by the quick response of the vessel's owner and the filing of a float plan,” said Lt. Justin Westmiller, command center supervisor and search-and-rescue mission coordinator at Sector Detroit, in a prepared statement.

According to the National Weather Service, the water temperature would have been around 69 degrees during the night, with some areas of Saginaw Bay posting temperatures in the low 70s.