Sheriff Bouchard Reminds Boaters, Swimmers To Stay Safe Following Oakland County Drowning

(CBS DETROIT) — Summertime in Michigan can be filled with fun and memorable moments. But a large number of waterways in the state can pose a serious and sometimes deadly hazard.

"It happens every summer tragically we see it in pools, we see it in lakes," said Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard.

Bouchard says unfortunately the county has seen its first drowning of the summer in Commerce Township.

"Preliminary it looks like he got in the water and was not a good swimmer and had been drinking and that combination was such that he was not able to get back to the boat or get to a safe spot," he said.

The Sheriff's Office says on Sunday evening they responded to a drowning call on Commerce Lake. The dive team recovered the body of 30-year-old Gurvit Sharma of Commerce Township.

Sharma was on a pontoon boat with friends, when he jumped in the water in an attempt to retrieve the boat ladder that had fallen in.

Bouchard says he may have underestimated the depth of the water since they were near a sandbar.

Bouchard says there are 450 lakes in Oakland County alone and as we approach the holiday weekend, he wants to remind swimmers and boaters to stay safe so a tragedy like this can be avoided.

"Before you take your boat out if you haven't already, do a full equipment check, make sure you do have personal floatation devices on board," he said.

The drowning is currently under investigation.

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