COs responded with an 18-foot patrol vessel to rescue boaters who couldn't make it back to shore in rough water.



Share or view as webpage [ [link removed] ]  |  Update preferences [ [link removed] ]


DNR banner with link to website [ [link removed] ]
"DNR News"



May 23, 2025
Contact: Lt. Mark DePew <[email protected]>, 989-297-1946

Ann Arbor boaters rescued after sailboat gets stranded in Lake Huron, offshore of Arenac County

sailboat on a lake

A 76-year-old man and 66-year-old woman from Ann Arbor were rescued Tuesday after their sailboat ran aground in high winds and rough water on Lake Huron.

The boaters launched near the Point Au Gres Marina and Campground, located on Green Drive, and planned to sail north to a boat slip they own at Tawas Marina.

At 2:10 p.m., Arenac County Central Dispatch received a 911 call regarding a boat that possibly had capsized off the south side of Point Au Gres, near North Rumsey Road.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers Josh Jobin and Craig Neal heard the call and responded immediately.

The COs launched an 18-foot patrol vessel from Au Gres River Mouth public access, located off Main Street. Deputies from the Arenac County Sheriff’s Office were on shore and able to direct the officers toward the distressed vessel.

Contact was made about 400 yards offshore, where the COs secured the two boaters. Both were wearing life jackets and in stable condition.

At approximately 3:23 p.m., the boaters were safely delivered to a private launch owned by the Au Gres Boat Club Association, located on Santiago Road. Deputies from the Arenac County Sheriff’s Office met the COs and boaters at the private launch and transported the man and woman back to their vehicle. Medical assistance was not required.

The sailboat remains moored in Lake Huron at the time of this release. The DNR is not releasing the names of the rescued boaters.

The U.S. Coast Guard and Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police Department assisted.

Jobin has been a CO since 2023; Neal has been a CO since 2015. Both officers patrol in Arenac County.

*Put safety first, all season long*

Today is the last day of National Safe Boating Week [ [link removed] ]. The DNR reminds all boaters to wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets, check weather conditions before leaving shore and monitor conditions while on the water.

According to most recent USCG statistics, 75 percent of boating deaths are due to drowning, and of those fatalities, 87 percent of victims were not wearing life jackets.

Michigan conservation officers are fully licensed law enforcement officers who provide natural resources protection, ensure recreational safety, and protect residents through general law enforcement and lifesaving operations in the communities they serve.

Learn more at Michigan.gov/ConservationOfficers [ [link removed] ] and follow the weekly blog [ [link removed] ] with updates from the conservation officer recruits in Training Academy No. 13, underway now in Roscommon.



________________________________________________________________________



*Note to editors:* An accompanying photo is available below for download. Caption information follows.

Sailboat [ [link removed] ]: A sailboat remains stranded in Lake Huron, offshore of Point Au Gres, after two boaters from Ann Arbor ran aground and became stranded in rough water Tuesday. Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers were able to safely rescue and return both boaters to shore.




"Following the severe March 28-30 ice storm in northern Michigan, the Department of Natural Resources continues assessments and cleanup at many DNR-managed locations. Find a dashboard [ [link removed] ] with the latest status (open, partially open, temporarily closed) of state parks, state-managed trails, boating access sites and state forest campgrounds; an interactive map; safety updates; and more on the DNR’s ice storm response page [ [link removed] ]."

X icon circle [ [link removed] ]facebook icon circle [ [link removed] ]YouTube icon circle [ [link removed] ]instagram icon [ [link removed] ]pinterest icon circle [ [link removed] ]email icon circle [ [link removed] ]




If you wish to no longer receive emails from the DNR,
please update your preferences here:
Manage Preferences [ [link removed]? ]  |  Unsubscribe All [ [link removed] ]  |  Help [ [link removed] ]

Need further assistance?
Contact Us [ [link removed] ]  |  Provide Feedback <[email protected]>

Visit us on our website: Michigan.gov/DNR [ [link removed] ]

________________________________________________________________________

Get personalized voter information on early voting and other topics at Michigan.gov/Vote [ [link removed] ].

________________________________________________________________________

This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Michigan Department of Natural Resources · Constitution Hall, 525 W. Allegan St., PO Box 30028 Lansing MI 48909 · 1-800-439-1420