Michigan Boater Killed After Boat Goes Airborne and Sinks

You’ve probably seen someone flying across a lake in a boat and thought, man, that person really needs to slow down.

Unfortunately, something like that turned deadly earlier this week in White Lake Township after a boat went airborne, landed on its side, and sank in Oxbow Lake.

Boat Goes Airborne on Oxbow Lake

According to Fox 2 Detroit, the boat was traveling at an “excessively high rate of speed” shortly before 2:30 p.m. Tuesday when the driver lost control.

The boat lifted off the water, crashed down on its side, and sank in about 50 feet of water.

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One Man Killed in Oxbow Lake Boat Crash, Passenger Rescued

The driver, 71-year-old Kirk Magnuson of White Lake, went down with the boat and never came back up. Search and rescue crews eventually found his body and also pulled the boat from the lake.

A 56-year-old man from Taylor was also on the boat and was thrown into the water when it crashed.

Thankfully, people on a nearby pontoon saw the whole thing happen and rushed over to pull him from the water. It’s unclear how badly he was hurt.

Neither Man in the Oxbow Lake Crash Was Wearing a Life Jacket

Investigators say neither man was wearing a life jacket. Let’s be honest, that’s not exactly uncommon. I honestly can’t remember the last time I saw an adult on a boat wearing one.

Alcohol is not believed to have played a role in the crash, but authorities haven’t said exactly how fast the boat was going.

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It’s unclear whether Magnuson died from the impact of the crash or drowned after going underwater.

It’s awful to think about how quickly this happened. One minute, these two men were out enjoying the lake, and the next, their boat was underwater.

It’s a tragic reminder to slow down and always wear a life jacket.