Deputy was dispatched to a suspicious boat floating in hart lake.  The original caller who made the report lives on the property.  Deputy went down to the lake and found vessel 1 on the south side of the lake against the south shore in the marsh.  After finding the hull document number, the officer attempted to make contact but no one was there.  A neighbor provided the name of victim's ex-wife and her number.  

Deputy hooked up a patrol boat and, with another deputy, met at the hart lake boat launch and went to the marsh area where the pontoon was located.  Upon arriving at the boat located, an anchor on a line was found hanging over the boat.  On the boat several personal items were located.  Vessel operator was not on the boat.  Deputies located victim's body floating on the surface on the south shore near the start of the large cove where the boat was located.  

The body was face down floating in about three feet of water about five feet from shore around 1637 hours and a medical examiner was requested.  It appeared that the boat most likely had been anchored at this location.  

At some point the winds the previous day became strong enough to blow the boat further into the lake and then across the lake to its reported location.  The body was located at 43.061337 - 86.3501425.  After the body was discovered and found to be deceased for an extended time period, the body was moved to the john gurney boat launch for the medical examiner.  Deputies recovered the body at that time and transported it to the boat launch to be picked up by a relative.  A funeral home was called for body removal.  Sheriff notified next of kin that operator of vessel 1 had passed away.

HART LAKE
HART TOWNSHIP                 