Search for boat missing in Lake Michigan - Muskegon

[GLF]

MUSKEGON -- The search continues for a missing boater in Lake Michigan, more than four miles off the Muskegon coast. The Coast Guard received a distress call around 10:30 a.m. Sunday.

"'Help me. I'm putting on a life jacket. My boat is sinking out from under me," U.S. Coast Guard Chief Mike Beatty says recounting the distress call.

Bad weather forced the search to be delayed for several hours. The same bad weather may have overcome the 25-foot boat, forcing at least one person into the water. The Coast Guard has very little information on the boat or its occupants. The distress call cut off after that one statement. Storm Team 8 received reports of wind gusts reaching 60 miles per hour.

"It was dead calm, and the wind just picked right up and then it started raining. It was bad, real nasty... I wouldn't have wanted to be on the lake," said lakeshore resident Chris Hopkins.

Hopkins lives along the lakeshore. He has boat similar in size to the one that was lost on Sunday and knows the dangers the bad weather can bring.

"It's rocky. It's bad. It's rough. We were just out the other weekend when there was three or four footers, and you're up and down and up and down, and that's in a 28 footer... so that's three feet longer," added Hopkins.

Late Sunday afternoon, the Coast Guard found debris believed to be from the missing boat. The number of people on board remains a mystery, and rescuers say finding someone bobbing in the water is the next challenge.

"If you're looking for a person, all you're going to see is from here up, if they have a life jacket on. So it's like looking for a soccer ball in Lake Michigan. It can be difficult," said Chief Mike Beatty.

Chief Beatty says a person can survive up to 30 hours in the water at this time of year if they're wearing a life jacket.

[Dv8oR]

I'm just going to think out loud here for a minute.....

Mike (GLF) knows due to the power of Nextel, I was out there while this was going on. Swarms of boats were running in due to a charter boat captain seeing this storm come up on radar.

It got real ugly, real fast.

Here's how I start to think out loud.

Why wasn't this boat running in also. Obviously had a marine radio. You could see the sky changing. Didn't he turn the radio on until he needed it.

Owner/operator never seen a storm come up on a big lake before? Nobody else seen this boat? Everybody was telling everybody else to run! No body told this guy?

The entire radio/lake community was worried for a blue Lund with 3 guys in it and no radio. Thought for sure when I got up and seen this on the headlines it was this boat/these 3.

Tim

[Satisfaxion_Gauranteed]

Ya, we were fishing out of Saugatuck and the same deal happened there. You could see the sky changing when the chatter came on the radio. We had already gotten most of our gear packed up when the radio chatter came across the air. Most everybody picked up and ran in, but a few stayed behind. I think it got uglier than some thought it would.

Either way, I hope they find the crew. I wouldn't my wife getting a call like that from a coast guard official.

[GLF]

Tim(Dv8oR) gave me a bump on the radio before he headed out and asked me to take a look at the weather radar. The radar did not show anything. Then my ISP went down again. When it finally came back up, I checked the radar again. There is a color scale on the bottom of the radar that shows the intensity of the storm. The radar image had small spots in the storm that maxed the scale out!

I sure am glad you came off the lake Tim. I hope they find the ones that are lost. Like the coast guard said in the report. Its like trying to find a volleyball in Lake Michigan

[Dv8oR]

I hope they find 'em too, and heard the same report about the soccer ball in Lake Michigan.

I've seen a few in my day. One thing I don't do is p l a y on the boat. Its not a toy and man I stress when I got my family with me. The back of my neck gets tight, head aches like drinkin all night the night before.

My dad use to rent boats for 2.00 a day. Think we weren't out/got caught in a few. They were only 16'ers.(boats that is) St. Clair can have attitude too when it wants to.

Was in one in my uncles boat 21' they called "baby #$^& blue". Had a wave bring us to a complete stop trying to go back in. My brother flew face first into a cooler. Try first aid in rollers. Not gonna quote 'em cuz I was young but they was big rollers. I think he lost a tooth or two but its a little fuzzy.

Huron get's good too when it sneaks up on ya.........

[Dv8oR]

And glad we came off when we did too, Thanks GLF!

[SUPERTRAMP]

The wife and I were out Sunday morning in So. Haven, the lake was supposed to be less than 1 ft according to the National weather service, (lol) the waves were more like 2 to 3' before the storm. My boat is a 15' Mirro Craft deep V and usually handles the water well, we were perch fishing off of Deer Lick Creek in 50 FOW and were getting a few medium sizers, The wife Looked North and saw the front on the Horizon, Pulled anchor and ran for the Harbor, Made it to the boat launch about 3 minutes ahead of the Storm. Any one out on the lake after that had a rough ride.

[fishslayer1963]

I am from the area of the missing boat.Has anyone heard anything on the issue?Last i heard the search was given up because no one was reported missing but again that was just here say.Any input on this?????

[huntingfool43]

The news at noon today said the search was called off. Didn't catch it all but the USCG figured at that point there would be no survivors left ot find, it was past the 30 hour mark. I heard them claim after 30 hours you would be a goner if not found.

[Satisfaxion_Gauranteed]

I heard the same news that the water search had been called off. They still don't know the identity of the person or the boat because there is no new missing persons reports along the lakeshore counties. Officials are still trying to locate the identity of the person by expanding the search for missing persons reports. The news didn't comment on if they even know the number of people aboard the boat.

not a good news situation.......

[Dv8oR]

I heard a radio report saying that they think he made it back in and just too embarassed to call in.

I'm thinking there would be huge fines on top of the embarrasment.