'Selfless, Heroic Act': Detroit Man Who Drowned In Oakland Co. Lake Died A Hero: Sheriff

OAKLAND COUNTY, MI — A 20-year-old Detroit man who drowned in an Oakland County lake last month died a hero for his act of bravery, according to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.

Marsalis Quintin Carter was with a moving crew on July 20 in Rose Township, according to the sheriff's office.

Carter and the crew asked the homeowner if he could take them out onto Taylor Lake on a pontoon boat to relax and cool off while on break during the morning hours, according to the sheriff's office.

Once in the water, a few of the crew members, including Carter, decided to go for a swim, according to the sheriff's office.

When one of the crew members began struggling to stay above the water with a pool noodle, Carter helped the person backed to the boat, according to the sheriff's office.

Then another crew member jumped into the lake and began struggling to above the water, according to the sheriff's office.

Carter jumped back into the water and brought his coworker back to the boat, according to the sheriff's office.

Unfortunately, Carter, who was likely exhausted, went underwater and was lost despite attempts to save him, according to the sheriff's office.

Dive teams later found Carter's body about 300 feet from the shore, in 35 feet of water after searching for more than 13 hours, according to the sheriff's office.

Officials had to use sonar equipment because of poor visibility in the lake, according to the sheriff's office.

Daileen Carter, Marsalis' mother, was given a citizen citation Thursday for her son's heroism.

"I wanted to take a moment to recognize the selfless and heroic act of her son who died saving the life of someone else," Oakland County Michael Bouchard said. "While the fact that Marsalis gave his life-saving a coworker may not diminish the family’s pain, it may give a measure of solace and meaning to his incredible sacrifice."