06-08-11
GRAND RIVER, MI
lansingstatejournal.com
The father of a 28-y/o Holt man who fell into the Grand River Wed. (06-08) watched for hours Thu. as the Capital Area Dive Team scoured the river for any sign of his son. The man fell into the river at about 5:45 p.m. Wed. after he got out of his kayak, which was stuck in a log jam, to join his brother in a canoe. He fell while trying to reach the canoe by walking across the logs. Witnesses said he held onto a log shortly before the current swept him under, said Greg Harless, chief deputy with the Ingham Co. Sheriff's Office.
The man was kayaking in a group with 3 canoes - one contained his brother, who was waiting for him near the logjam. The other 2 canoes made it safely past the barrier, which spread across about 2/3 the width of the river. The group launched from McNamara Canoe Landing in Aurelius Township. Some members in the party had been drinking, Harless said, but he couldn't say whether the victim was among them. Ingham Co. Sheriff's Lt. Michael DeBruin didn't know whether the victim was wearing a safety vest.
Police spent hours Wed. and Thu. searching the area of the river near Waverly Road and Burke Highway where the man fell. The depth drops from about 2 ft. to 3 ft. near the shore to 12 ft. or 13 ft. where the man fell. Divers completed a search in the area at about 6:30 p.m. Thu., and crews from Eaton Co. Sheriff's Office or Delhi Township Fire will search the shoreline using light boats.
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20110610/NEWS01/106100320/Search-continues-man-who-fell-into-Grand-River?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE
Body of missing man, 28, found in Grand River
Published: Tuesday, June 14, 2011
DELHI TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — The Ingham County Sheriff’s Department says searchers have found the body of a 28-year-old man who fell into the Grand River while trying to help free his brother’s kayak from a logjam.
Chief Deputy Greg Harless tells WILX-TV that the body of Sean Arnett of Holt was discovered about noon Monday near the Burchfield Park boat launch. He disappeared Wednesday in the river in Delhi Township near Lansing.
The Lansing State Journal says Arnett had two children.
DELHI TOWNSHIP - Divers are still searching for a 28-year-old Holt man who disappeared into the river Wednesday and is presumed drowned.
Later this afternoon, a team plans to do a final dive in the area where the man fell in. After that, they will expand their search to other parts of the river, said Ingham County Sheriff's Lt. Michael DeBruin.
The Ingham County Road Commission has been helping remove debris and trees from the river. He said the current is "very strong," from 3-5 mph, because of all the recent rainfall.
The victim's father, Kenny Arnett, of Dimondale, was at the scene of the accident today. He said two sons were in the group that launched canoes and kayaks from McNamara Canoe Landing in Aurelius Township.
"I want to find him. I want to get him out. And I want to take him home," Arnett said.
The Capital Area Dive Team and Ingham County sheriff's officials spent hours Wednesday evening searching the river near Waverly Road and Burke Highway to recover the body the man.
According to earlier reports, the 28-year-old man fell into the river just before 5:45 p.m. while trying to free a kayak from a log jam in a part of the river jammed with debris.
DELHI TOWNSHIP - Divers will return to the Grand River this morning to search for a 28-year-old man who disappeared into the river Wednesday and is presumed drowned.
"They will be going out to resume the recovery efforts," said Sgt. Steve Sopocy with the Ingham County Sheriff's Office. "They were out there until about midnight last night."
The Capital Area Dive Team and Ingham County sheriff's officials spent hours Wednesday evening searching the river near Waverly Road and Burke Highway to recover the body the man.
According to earlier reports, the 28-year-old man fell into the river just before 5:45 p.m. while trying to free a kayak from a log jam in a part of the river jammed with debris.
"They removed a lot of that stuff yesterday and now they're going to continue" the search, Sopocy said.
The man was with a group who launched canoes and kayaks from McNamara Canoe Landing in Aurelius Township.
