Bodies of two missing snowmobilers recovered in icy Michigan lake
The bodies of two missing snowmobilers from Grand Haven were recovered amid icy water early Sunday in Western Michigan, the Mason County Sheriff's Office said.
The two men were reported missing about 12:30 a.m. Sunday, when family members believed they may have been traveling on the snowmobile trails in Lake County. They had not been heard from for several hours prior to that call, deputies said.
The initial search focused on the trails in Lake County, and a few hours later, the search shifted into eastern Mason County. The Mason and Lake County sheriff's offices got assistance from the Michigan State Police and multiple area fire departments.
One of the searchers noticed snowmobile tracks entering Round Lake off Sugar Grove Road, in Mason County's Sheridan Township, deputies said.
But searchers could not see signs of snowmobile tracks leading away from the lake.
Because of the darkness and heavy snow at the time, further searching of the lake had to wait until daylight. At that point, authorities said, a snowmobile helmet was seen atop the ice, several hundred yards offshore.
Dive teams from the Michigan State Police and the Mason County Sheriff's Office were called to the scene and made their way over the ice. An airboat was also requested from the Manistee County Sheriff's Office.
During the recovery efforts, deputies said, a Michigan State Police diver fell through the ice. But as he was tethered to another diver, he was pulled out of the ice unharmed.
Officers then found the bodies of the missing men, Daniel Myers, age 65, and Jason Aemmer, age 49, who are both from Grand Haven, in about six feet of water. Two snowmobiles were also found submerged under the ice.
Other agencies assisting on the call included the Ludington Police, U.S. Coast Guard-Manistee, Michigan DNR-Law Enforcement, Branch Fire, Carr Fire, Fountain Area Rescue, Free Soil Fire, Hamlin Fire, Irons Fire, Luther Fire, Pleasant Plains Fire, Manistee Fire and Norman Township Fire departments.