SYLVAN LAKE, Mich. – The body of a Sylvan Lake man was recovered from the lake hours after his boat was found drifting unattended.
Witnesses said Louis William Petro, 84, took his boat out onto the lake at around 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. He was a regular boater and was alone. At 5:15 p.m. his boat was found drifting in the water unoccupied and witnesses called police.
Other boaters tied up the drifting boat. When deputies arrived, they found Petro’s cell phone, wallet, and car keys in the boat. There were no signs of a struggle, foul play, or drug or alcohol use.
Dive teams, the sheriff’s office drone unit, and aviation unit assisted in the search. Boats equipped with side scan SONAR were also used to search the lake.
Petro’s body was discovered by divers at 10 p.m. on Friday. He was found in five feet of water, approximately 200 feet from the shore. He was not wearing a life jacket.
Petro is the 11th person to have drowned in an Oakland County lake this year, according to the sheriff’s office.
“In an already extremely tragic summer, the loss of another person while they were enjoying the water is very sad,” Oakland County sheriff Michael Bouchard said. “While we don’t know what happened in this case yet, we encourage people if they are not strong swimmers, or they are alone in the water to consider using a floatation device.”
The Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team is investigating the drowning.
---> Body of missing Sylvan Lake boater found 200 feet off shore in Oakland County