A grandfather drowned when he tried to save his 3-year-old grandson who fell off their boat after it was hit by the wake of a passing boat in Saginaw Bay, Michigan.
The tragic accident occurred last Saturday afternoon during a family fishing outing on the bay, which is part of Lake Huron. The grandfather, James G. David, was fishing with his son, 32, and his two grandchildren, 3 and 9, on a 17-foot boat.
About 4 in the afternoon, local police got a 911 call from the 9-year-old, saying his little brother had fallen into the water. Police were able to ping the boy’s cellphone to fix his location.
The father and David both jumped in to the lake to try to save the 3-year-old. They were not wearing life jackets; he was. In the rough water, everyone became separated by hundreds of yards.
Meanwhile, the 9-year-old, still on the boat, waved down a passing boat for help. They pulled the 3-year-old out of the water; he was not hurt. They also managed to tie a rope around David, who was not responding.
The Coast Guard and Bay County deputies arrived, performed CPR on David and rushed him to a nearby hospital, but he was pronounced dead.
Local media reported that the father said the 3-year-old was thrown off the boat by the wake of a passing boat. Read more:
