Sheriff's Office: Man Drowned While Rescuing Dogs on Portage Lake

Sheriff's Office: Man Drowned While Rescuing Dogs on Portage Lake reports a fatal drowning investigation by Livingston County Sheriff’s detectives. The incident involved a 42-year-old man from Pinckney who drowned on Friday evening at Portage Lake. Deputies and Putnam Township Fire were dispatched around 7:30 p.m. to Mud Bay, near Arthurs Court and Lancelot Lane, in Putnam Township. According to the preliminary investigation, the man entered the water without a life jacket to rescue his dogs; nearby residents were able to remove the dogs. The man then went below the surface and did not resurface. A dive team search using boats, drones, sonar, Aquaeye, and divers lasted about 90 minutes, and he was found in roughly 20 feet of water at 72-degree temperatures and recovered. He was pronounced deceased after transport to Livingston County EMS. Multiple agencies assisted at the scene, including D.A.R.T. and several fire and police departments.