Man drowns after jumping off boat into Rose Township lake to save panicked swimmer

ROSE TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A 20-year-old man drowned after jumping off a boat into a lake in Rose Township to save a panicked swimmer.

Marsalis Quintin Carter, who lists residences in Detroit and Tuskegee, Alabama, was pronounced dead after a search of Taylor Lake that lasted more than 13 hours, according to the the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s search and rescue team was called to the lake at 11:07 a.m. on Saturday, July 20, 2024. Witnesses told police that Carter jumped off the side of a pontoon boat into the private lake to help a panicked swimmer back on the boat.

Carter was working with a moving crew to help a resident move. The crew asked to go on the boat with the owner to relax and cool off while on a break. The boat’s owner took them to the lake. The sheriff’s office stated that Carter and another man jumped into the water and Carter did not resurface.

“Another member of the crew jumped in and panicked, the victim, a strong swimmer, jumped in to assist his crew member back to the boat. The boat owner also assisted getting the panicked crew member to the boat. Once the panicked crew member was back at the boat, the victim had disappeared from sight,” according to the North Oakland County Fire Authority NOCFA.

Strike teams from the Southeast Michigan Dive Group assisted in the search. As did the North Oakland County Fire Authority, including divers from Genesee, Lapeer, Livingston and Wayne counties. Officials said at least 25 divers were on scene. The search lasted more than 13 hours.

Divers used sonar equipment due to poor visibility in the lake. Carter’s body was found at 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 21, about 300 feet from shore in 35 feet of water.

An autopsy was performed and the preliminary cause of death has been determined to be drowning.