Area fire chief missing in Lake St. Clair

HARRISON TWP. (WWJ) – Authorities say the Chief of the Southfield Fire Department is presumed to have drowned on Lake St. Clair in an incident that saw the driver of his boat arrested for operating while intoxicated.

Macomb County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating the possible drowning of a 58-year-old man in Harrison Township.

“Due to the choppiness of the water, they couldn’t get close enough, and he went under”, Wickersham said this morning.

Police quickly responded to the scene and launched a search operation. Also on board the boat at the time was a 55-year-old woman from Rochester Hills and a 38-year-old woman from Bloomfield Township.

Three other people were aboard the boat including one Troy man who was handcuffed and arrested on an Operating a Watercraft While Intoxicated charge. His name was not released.

Sheriff’s deputies told WXYZ that the search is a recovery effort.

The Marine Division and United States Coast Guard tried to locate the victim throughout Friday evening but were unsuccessful. The dive team was out searching the lake Saturday morning.

Stay with Local 4 and clickonDetroit.com for updates in this developing story.