Man Drowns, Another Hurt After High-Speed Boat Crash On Oakland County Lake: Sheriff

WHITE LAKE TOWNSHIP, MI — One man is dead and another man is recovering in a hospital after a high-speed boat crash Tuesday in Oakland County, according to sheriff's officials.

The crash happened at 2:28 p.m. Tuesday on Oxbow Lake in White Lake Township, officials said.

Officials said 71-year-old Kirk Magnuson, of White Lake Township, was speeding in a boat on the lake when it became airborne and struck the water on its side.

The crash tossed a passenger from the boat, which then sank in roughly 50 feet of water, officials said.

Nearby boaters found the passenger, a 56-year-old Taylor man, but Magnuson had not resurfaced after going underwater with the boat, officials said.

The 56-year-old man was taken to McLaren Oakland Hospital where he was listed in stable condition, officials said.

Dive crews entered the lake while rescue boats equipped with sonar searched the area where the vessel had gone down, officials said.

Divers eventually found Magnuson's body 50 feet below the surface, officials said, adding his death has been ruled an accidental drowning.

Investigators determined neither man was wearing a life jacket. They do not believe alcohol played a role in the crash.

Search crews recovered the boat using specialized recovery equipment. Officials have impounded the boat as part of the investigation.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said this incident was preventable.

"Excessive speed on the water can turn dangerous in an instant, and a personal flotation device can mean the difference between life and death," Bouchard said. "One person tragically lost their life, and we are extremely fortunate a nearby boater saw what happened, immediately responded, and was able to save the other individual."