Man's body recovered after boat drifts away on Lake St. Clair

Dive teams have recovered the body of a man Wednesday, a day after he disappeared on Lake St. Clair near the Grosse Pointe Yacht club. 

Michigan State Police and Wayne County Sheriff's dive teams found the body using sonar technology, officials said.

"The missing overboard man's body was recovered by dive teams this afternoon," Grosse Pointe Farms Police said. "The family has been notified."

Police did not release his identity. 

The man, described as in his 60s, was boating with his fiancee about a mile off from the yacht club when they decided to go for a swim. While they were swimming, their boat drifted away, said ensign Justin Bommer with the Detroit Sector of the Coast Guard. 

"They tried to get back to it," Bommer said. "Then when the female turned around, she could no longer see him."

A good Samaritan picked up the woman and immediately called the yacht club to report the man's disappearance, Bommer said. 

Authorities received the call at 5:22 p.m. and the search efforts commenced with the St. Clair Shores Coast Guard station providing boats and Air Station Detroit providing a helicopter. Bommer says the search lasted through the night and continued in the morning. At 10 a.m. Wednesday, the Coast Guard determined they had completely covered the area where the man could be and, after 14 different dives, suspended the search. 

"We don't know what happened with the boat, but I doubt the anchor was down or it wasn't in the ground," Bommer said. 

He added that both the man and woman were experienced swimmers. 

"We've been told he was an experienced scuba diver," he said.

Alcohol use is not believed to be a factor in the incident. 

cramirez@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @CharlesERamirez