2 Snowmobilers Dead After Falling Through Icy MI Lake: Sheriff

MASON COUNTY, MI — Two men are dead after their snowmobiles fell through an icy lake in northern Michigan over the weekend, officials said.

The incident happened early Sunday morning on Round Lake in Sheridan Township, according to the Mason County Sheriff's Office.

Crews pulled the bodies of Daniel Meyers, 65, and Jason Aemmer, 49, both of Grand Haven, from roughly 6 feet of water, officials said. They also found both snowmobiles submerged in the lake.

Family members reported the men missing at 12:30 a.m. Sunday when they could not reach them while they were out snowmobiling, officials said.

Rescue crews began searching snowmobile trails in Lake County before expanding their search into nearby Mason County, where a searcher located snowmobile tracks entering Round Lake, officials said.

Rescuers noticed the tracks did not leave the lake, but they were unable to search the lake due to darkness and heavy snow, officials said.

By daybreak, rescuers found a snowmobile helmet several hundred yards offshore on the icy lake, officials said.

Rescuers used a drone and found a hole in the icy lake next to the helmet, officials said.

Rescuers initially had trouble reaching the area on the icy lake. A state police diver fell through the ice, but they were properly tethered to another diver and weren't injured, officials said.

The rescuers eventually made their way to the hole in the ice where they found the bodies underwater, officials said.