3 dead after boating accident near MacRay Harbor in Lake St. Clair, deputies say

Three bodies were recovered early Thursday after a two-vessel collision overnight near MacRay Harbor in the Michigan waters of Lake St. Clair. 

According to the Macomb County Sheriff's Office, a 1981 23-foot Formula Thunderbird and a 1991 28-foot Sea Ray Sundancer were involved in the collision. 

Authorities say three occupants of the Formula Thunderbird, identified as 52-year-old Craig Miller of Macomb Township, 56-year-old Heidi Baldwin of St. Clair Shores, and 64-year-old Gerald Grzadzinski of Chesterfield Township, died aboard the vessel. A fourth occupant, a 58-year-old Chesterfield Township woman, became separated from the boat and swam to shore for assistance. She was later taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The accident happened about 8 p.m. Wednesday, the passenger said later. The Macomb County Sheriff's Office learned of the accident at about 10:48 p.m., sending its marine division deputies and underwater search and rescue team to the area. 

At about 5 a.m. Thursday, members of the underwater search and rescue team recovered three bodies from the submerged vessel. 

The operator of the Sea Ray, a 40-year-old Roseville man, is cooperating with investigators. A 36-year-old Roseville woman, as well as another woman and a child, were also on board the Sea Ray.   

Jason McGuire with Riverside Marina, who was not involved in the crash or investigation, said his thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones.

"My heart goes out to them," McGuire said. "My heart goes out to their family, especially our boater family."

McGuire, a boating safety instructor, said operating a boat at night can present additional challenges, particularly because visibility on the water can be dramatically different from driving on a roadway.

"The difference between being on the water at night and being on the street at night is completely different," McGuire said. "There's no light. You are moving basically by the moonlight. So if it's a cloudy night, it's even worse."

McGuire emphasized that he does not know what caused Wednesday night's crash and was speaking only about boating safety in general.

He said boaters, particularly those operating high-speed vessels, should make sure they have appropriate safety equipment before heading onto the water.

That includes properly functioning life jackets, throwable flotation devices and a ship-to-shore radio or other means of communicating in an emergency.

"You have to make sure that you have these things, and also let people know where you're at," McGuire said.

The investigation is continuing.