I personally watched the Oceana County Sheriffs' Deputies come out to search for this drowning victim, as I was sailing my boat at the same end of the lake. A yellow float plane showed up a few minutes later and circled for some time without success, while I sailed home then watched the search through binoculars. The body was found 2 days later, Friday morning by a family water skiing.

The bare bones story is that a gentleman sadly was drowned while trying to rescue his 2 sons aged 3 and 10 who had fallen off a ski tube at Silver Lake near Mears, Michigan. The father was not wearing a life jacket, but the boys were wearing theirs. An 18 year-old stepson also in the boat was wearing a PFD and jumped in with another PFD to find his stepfather but without success. All were picked up safely.

Here is the rest of the story heard yesterday. The gentleman who drowned at Silver Lake and 3 other families has rented 4 waterfront cabins across the street from the ski boat rental shop. He had no ski boat of his own, and rented a rig and equipment from the concession owner. As the group of 5 were loading up to go out, this man did not have on a life jacket. The concessionare asked him to wear one. He apparently refused to put on a life jacket (PFD) and was then informed that if he did not put one on, he could not rent the boat. After some loud discussion, he put on a PFD, but after leaving the dock, stood up and took it off, shook it in the air at the rental person to prove his virility then threw it down on the boat floor.

Shortly afterwards the 3 and 10-year old sons, who were wearing PFDs, were flung off a towed tube in the deep southern, weedy end of the lake. I suspect they were not in danger, just did not like the floating weeds, and began hollering. The father returned to them and jumped into the water, lifejacketless, where he immediately drowned in the weeds.

This person had already gained local notoriety from a nearby firewood vender when he loudly insisted on a giveaway price for the wood he wanted. I believe that he was not smarter than his 10-year old 5th grader, who survives him.

Submitted on 08/25/2008

Submitted by: David Carlson
Reference: Oceana Herald-Journal weekly, Aug. 21, 2008, Muskegon MI Chronicle, Aug. 21, 2008

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Bruce said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
I was initially inclined to toss this as being far too common since I've seen plenty of idiots get into trouble without PFD's during my time in the Coast Guard Auxiliary. However given this persons antics I think he proved himself to be a little above the typical clueless boater. Thanks, David.

Candi said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
I have to agree with Bruce. Anyone who goes into water of unknown depth without a PFD that HE DELIBERATELY TOOK OFF is a moron. This is the kind of loud pushy jerk the gene pool is better off without.

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