 Members of the Culver-Union Township Fire Department, Marshall County Dive Team and Department of Natural Resources-Law Enforcement Division were on Lake Maxinkuckee Sunday afternoon to remove an ice boat. Photo provided/Chad Becker By Maggie Nixon Managing Editor
CULVER — A 72-year-old man has died after the ice boat he was on fell through Lake Maxinkuckee Saturday.
Police were called to 520 Peru Court, Culver, shortly before 3 p.m. Suzanne King reported to police her 72-year-old husband, Ronald, had taken his ice boat — a craft similar to a sailboat equipped with skis, powered by a sail — out on the frozen lake. She was concerned he had not returned after nearly an hour.
Upon arrival, Culver Deputy Chief of Police Chad Becker said a “search” was done from the residence using binoculars. “The boat craft was not visually located from that area,” he said. A second search was conducted from the west shore of the public access site, but the ice boat was not observed from there either.
“An incident command was started at the public access site by Culver Police,” Becker said. “At this time, the Culver Fire Department was requested for personnel in regard to a search, which was started by sending fire units around the lake.”
Becker said within half an hour after the fire department’s search began, the department was able to locate the boat near the center of Lake Maxinkuckee, Indiana’s second largest lake.
“After fire personnel walked to the boat, they were able to locate the victim partially submerged in an open area of the lake that had not frozen.
“King was found to be unconscious and unresponsive, however he had been wearing a life jacket,” Becker said. The jacket was able to keep King afloat and his head above water.
A basket was used to transport King across the lake after Culver-Union Township EMS pulled him from the water.
After being treated at the scene, King was taken to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center-Plymouth before be-ing taken to South Bend.
According to Marshall County Coroner William Cleavenger, King died at 11:03 p.m. Saturday.
Culver Police, Fire and EMS were assisted by the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, the Marshall County Dive Team and the Department of Natural Resources-Law Enforcement Division.
On Sunday, fire and police department crews returned to the scene to remove the ice boat from Lake Maxinkuckee.
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