2 injured in Independence Day boating mishaps in Commerce Township

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office is investigating two separate Independence Day mishaps on Commerce Township lakes — North Commerce Lake and Union Lake — that resulted in injuries, reminders to take extra care this summer on the water.

The first incident — in which alcohol did not appear to be a factor — was at about 5:45 p.m. Thursday on Union Lake. A 32-year-old Waterford man fell off a personal watercraft that kept going and then struck a 24-foot pontoon boat, injuring a 29-year-old Waterford woman.

The second incident was shortly after that, at about 6 p.m., when a man was spotted floating in the water but appeared to be unresponsive. It turned out, the sheriff’s office said, that the 20-year-old Commerce man dove off the side of a pontoon boat.

Where he went in, however, the depth was about 4 feet. He hit his head on the lake bottom.

Others on the boat pulled him from the water and he was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. He was not wearing a life jacket, and, authorities said, "alcohol is believed to be a factor" in what happened. Details about how much he might have been drinking were not released.

The two incidents come nearly a year after a 57-year-old Novi man who was swimming in Lower Straits Lake, also in Commerce Township, was killed. He was hit in August by a 22-foot pontoon boat. He was not wearing a lifejacket and in 4-6 feet of water about 50-75 yards from shore.

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2 injured in Independence Day boating mishaps in Commerce Township